Going to school in India was an experience that I am still learning to appreciate. It certainly was a very extreme experience, many of of my highest highs and lowest lows. The person I am now is a result of those experiences, so I can’t complain too much.
There are certain traits and qualities that I have that I can trace directly back to my time in India, and here are some of my most loved and hated.
Since I was separated from my parents at age 7, I was forced to grow up pretty fast. I still had my siblings, but since there were some very strong social dividing lines, they couldn’t be around very much. I became quite independent, emotionally.
Throughout my ten school years, most of the new students were in the lower grades. My peer group hardly changed the entire time. I got to know those people quite well, but it’s pretty challenging for me to make new friends. Not impossible, but it takes time.
It’s not all bad news though. I learned introspection. I learned that the worst really isn’t all that bad. I learned how to listen. I learned that some of the most beautiful things in the world are usually seen on the way to wherever you are going.
As usual, things tend to balance themselves out.
Tags: Embarrasingly Personal, India