The countdown has begun.
T-25 Days until Graduation from Southeast Missouri State U.
T-55 Days until I take the dreaded LSAT.
T-85 Days until I leave for Hyderabad, India.
It's Official: I'm going to India for ten months! I'm the first to admit that I never dreamed this is the path that my life would take. What happened to the relatively 'safe' 9-5 lawyer gig I had previously planned to pursue? No idea. Seriously though, my dream of studying law is still present, it's just been semi-put on hold for a year. I planned to take a gap year after graduation and before law school, but I had no idea I would be spending my year like this! However, I like this path that my life has taken, and I doubt I would have been happy sitting behind a desk anytime in the near future.
Here's the deal: I love the idea of being a lawyer. Through my college internship I've had the opportunity to work for an amazing group of lawyers who truly exemplify all of the 'great' things about being an attorney. But with this job I also see frustrations; I've realized that the majority of all cases are plead out and many are sentenced below the recommended guidelines. It shocked me. It shouldn't have, because I've learned these things in my classes. I also understand that 'Law & Order' isn't a correct interpretation of our justice system. But, I guess I just expected a little more .... justice. I think I could eventually settle into this atmosphere, but not yet. After all, these professionals I work with do an amazing amount of work and truly serve the public. I just do not yet have the patience or perseverance that I see in my bosses. I feel like I would too quickly lose faith in both humanity and our justice system. My altruistic 'save the world' attitude keeps pushing me to work in areas where I know I can make a difference.
So.... India, huh? Yeah everyone, India. Last summer I was lucky enough to embark on a month-long experience to Rwanda, Africa, and when I announced this news I got the 'uh...what?' look too. Seriously. If you aren't my mom, dad, Andy, or grandparents then you should probably relax a bit. I'll be fine! Rwanda stole my heart, and it solidified my devotion to work abroad in areas of sustainable development, which works with vulnerable groups (for example: women and children). If you drag your attention to the map on the right..... well that's India! That darker green section near the southern portion is Andrha Pradesh, and Hyderabad is located in this area. The city is fairly conservative and comprised of a lot of varying cultural and political ideas and influences. Now what in the world will I be doing in India for ten months? Well, I'll answer that in much greater detail in my next post. No worries. But for now, let me quickly sum it up: I am accepting an IDEX Fellowship in the field of Social Enterprise. I applied thinking it was a long-shot and that I didn't stand a chance. Goodness I love it when I'm wrong! Apparently out of 1,200 applicants I made the cut. I'll be joining about 60 other recent graduates in Hyderabad, India. Each of us will be working with an affordable private school located in a very poor area of the city, catering solely to the poorest of children in the slums. NO, I will not be teaching English. That is not sustainable. The whole point of the fellowship is to work with these schools and their administrator's to 1. identify what needs improvement 2. create a plan with sustainable features and 3. then implement said plan. The goal is to create solutions that can be continued by the citizens once foreigners like myself have left the country. We are working with schools and education because we all know that education means societal improvement aka the path to eradication of poverty!
That's it in a nutshell. Yeah, I know there are tons of questions left unanswered, but like I said I'll cover a lot of that in my next post. I think the reason people give me 'the look' is because they have questions/they are worried about me. Again, no worries! I'll be just fine. Promise! I think a lot of other people wonder about the time frame. They're right, ten months is a pretty long time. In the grad scheme of things, though, it isn't too bad. Without the love and support of my family and friends it would be a lot harder. Don't get me wrong, they hate that I'm going. But.... they understand. Usually.
Mom 1. Guilting me to come home more 2. Trying to remain 'neutral' 3. Only cries when holidays are mentioned (duh I can't come home for Thanksgiving mom) 4. Wants to console herself by 'borrowing' all of the clothes I can't take with me and using all of my craft stuff
Dad 1. Thinks his baby girl cannot take care of herself aka thinks I'm still 7 years old 2. Constantly asks if planning this trip is interfering with my LSAT study 3. Curious if any law schools will accept me.... I mean I hope so?! 4. Listens but likes to change the subject a lot so he doesn't have to think about it and be super sad that I'm leaving
Grandparents 1. In denial.... but much more aware than last summer when I announced my Rwanda trip 2. Gram repeats everything dad says about the LSAT. He has her trained! haha
So as you can see, the countdown has begun. Weird that everything is like 30 days apart? Oh well, easier for me to keep up with my countdown that way! Cannot wait to graduate since that comes first. BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis in the areas of Political Science, Speech Communication, & Criminal Justice. I currently have a terrible dose of senioritis. The LSAT follows, and it is going to be horrible. I've been studying for so long that if I don't do well then there must be something wrong with the test. After graduation I have a full month of no work and no school; purely LSAT study time. Greeeeeat. Anyone who has ever had a logic class or opened a prep book can relate to my pain here. Both of my jobs are tied to being a student so I lose them as of May 12 which is fine since studying for the LSAT is more important at that point. After the LSAT, I have a full month of nothing to do but enjoy my time with family and friends (& pack). That month will seriously be Heaven.
Click here to see an interesting video the IDEX crew found about my future 'home' city: Hyderabad. The guy rapping talks a lot about biryani.... a local food that is pretty famous. Can't wait to try it! It was shot in Hyderabad so you'll get some great shots of the city. Sorry for how cheesy it is!
I left Harrisburg for St. Louis Tuesday night after an exhausting day full of packing and tears. Nothing fit and all of my bags were too heavy. Deciding finally to take three 50 pound bags instead of two, we were on our way. We arrived late that evening, and it didn't take long for me to fall fast asleep. The next morning we arrived at the St. Louis International Airport at 5:45am. It was so hard to say bye to mom and dad. And the day before saying bye to my grandparents was also incredibly difficult. Everything was starting to really sink in at this point.... it was really happening. I was not just leaving for a trip, but moving abroad for almost a year. Andy had parked his car and met me inside after I said goodbye to my amazing parents. He stayed with me until I went through my final security check. He came back a few times which made it easier and harder at the same time. I wasn't questioning my decision, I was just realizing the full gravity of my choice.
After making it through my security check I boarded my first plane bound for Dallas. Next stop was Dubai, then Hyderabad. Nothing too exciting, but when we arrived in Hyderabad customs it all changed. I definitely should have learned the language. Apparently the piece of paper I had printed out with my contact numbers and my address had fallen out between flights so I didn't have an address for my customs form. It was a complete mess. The officer actually told me I would have to go home! Back to the plane! Of course the language barrier caused the confusion, and my sleep deprivation caused tears to start flowing. Eventually someone felt bad for me and helped me locate an address. Pickup was also interesting. Shruti had emailed new pickup information.... but didn't have access to the internet because of the flights! Luckily another fellow was there, and we got to our new places quickly and safely. Arriving upstairs I met my lovely new housemates and met the boys next door. I think this is going to really work out well!
