Hello everyone!

I wanted to start by saying THANK YOU if you are reading this because that means you (probably) read all of our blog posts until the end! Which makes me feel happy 🙂 While it was not always easy to write and post blogs on the internet while we were in India, it was made easier knowing that we had people who were keeping up with and enjoying our blog posts. I’m also very happy that I now have this blog for myself and anyone I want to send it to in the future. Initially, I was somewhat hesitant to share with others so much of what I usually keep for myself, but the writing ended up being a cathartic experience for me while I was in India.

In the short time since I have left India (our flight got back to the U.S. yesterday evening) I have been able to reflect on a lot from my month. Since this was my first time out of the country, everything felt very intense, exciting, scary, and sometimes overwhelming. Adjusting to not only being in an entirely different country, but having a much busier schedule than I am used to was a lot for me initially. Eventually, I became used to the ever-changing, and sometimes busy, schedule.

I have been thinking a lot about everything I experienced there from my host family, preceptors, people who approached me in different places we went, to the animals and architecture we saw. I have thought about the stories I heard on rotations, life lessons given to me by wise and experienced people, and the kindness shown to me by total strangers. And I can’t forget about the food, right? Ultimately, I have thought about how this experience has helped shape my views and understanding of the world. There was so much I didn’t know before, and now I feel like I know more regarding India’s culture, healthcare, geography, food, weather, transportation system, values, and religions. I know that this knowledge will stay with me as I move on to becoming a physician, as well as through other walks of life. I am so grateful I was able to experience this global health rotation, and there so many people I have and intend to thank for making it a possibility. Thank you for reading!

-Meredith