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.