First Impressions of India from a First Time Visitor

Evan, one of Nanubhai’s three interns this year, landed last week in Bardoli, India with the rest of the intern team. Curious about her first impressions? Read about them below!

India is an experience, and one that I don’t think any amount of research, reading, or

studying can adequately prepare you for. Before deciding to join the Nanubhai Education

Foundation for the summer, my exposure to India was basically limited to the chapters of Eat,

Pray, Love and a few other travel memoirs. When it comes to traveling, I’m not completely

inexperienced. In undergrad, I spent a summer in Ecuador, a semester in Greece, and another

summer in France. All of these places were unique in their own right, but India is an entirely new

ball game.

In preparation, I tried to read as much as I could both fiction and nonfiction on India to

get a better sense of what lay ahead for my summer. Despite all of my efforts though, I still feel

overwhelmed by how much I don’t know about India. It’s a vast country with an immense history

and many unique cultural traits. The learning curve is huge, and I feel that thus far I’ve hardly

scratched the surface. At this point, it is definitely a puzzle to me. I am enjoying all of the new

experiences­ trying new foods, shopping for clothes, drinking chai, and watching water buffalo

walk down the street like they own it to name a few. I don’t feel comfortable quite yet in India,

but I think that will come with time.

When Sarah interviewed me for an intern position, she asked me what I thought would

be the most challenging aspect of the program for me. I was honest and told her I thought the

culture of India would be the most challenging thing for me to deal with simply because it was

entirely different than anything I had ever experienced before. I think my answer was far more

accurate than I realized at the time. That being said, I really am looking forward to figuring out

the puzzle that is India. It is a country that has intrigued me as much as it has confused me.

I am looking forward to assisting Nanubhai in its mission. I am truly excited to be

working for an organization dedicated to improving the education of girls in India. This summer

will definitely be challenging at times but I think Nelson Mandela said it best when he said,

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change to the world.”

-Evan Campbell