finding rickshaw.

“It’s good to be home.”

I’ve thought that twice over the past 3 weeks.

The first time was last week when I went back to the US for business.  Away for 9 months, the trip proved to be everything I expected, and more.  I drank tap water, ate beef, inhaled clean air, celebrated SHOBICA’s engagement (congrats and pictures) and spent time with close friends, Mihira and my sister.

It was amazing be home.

Congrats!

M and me.

Jeena and Leila, last year’s AIF Ahmedabad fellows, had mentioned that readjusting to America post-fellowship was difficult and that they “were missing Ahmedabad a lot”.  Upon reading that last summer, I was certain that I would not share their sentiments.  While I was excited and grateful for the impending opportunity, I love America and my life there.  I viewed this as a bracketed 10-month experience to learn about and apply myself to development.

So when I returned to India last Monday, I was surprised to feel so at ease and so at home.  It was the routine things, like the genuine hellos and welcome backs from our LRC members.  Or disappointing the rickshaw drivers by speaking Gujarati and knowing the fares (I guess my mustache did make me look authentic Indian).   Or going to lunch at Kirit Kaka’s for some vagarilo bahth (rice) as part of their family, not an American cousin-tourist.  And while, I’ll never get used to social inconsistencies like seeing rail-thin women digging ditches on the side of the road in 115 degree heat, children laborers or children using the sidewalk as a bathroom for lack of an alternative, it felt great to be back.

Salt pan children in rural Gujarat.

Harsh & Kani, my best friends.

I know it’s cliched to say that this experience has had a profound effect on me.  But it has.  I’ve never been more stimulated by my work.   I need to ensure that I keep at least one foot in the development space in the future, whether from India or the States.   I like it here.

~ by findingrickshaw on May 24, 2009.

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