HAPPILY DYING

I could finally fit my feet in my Chacos this morning (they were previously so swollen they couldn’t fit) so today is a good day! We just finished our breakfast and are currently waiting to be introduced to the little girls we will teach for the next four days. We have been told they are shy and that today will mostly be about making conversation with them. This reminds me of the last time I was here. The children we taught had never had a YMAD group before, so they were initially very reserved and quiet around us. But I was able to see their confidence in English and sociability grow so much, and by the end they would hug and kiss us all the time. Seeing their behavior in the beginning and the end made me realize how much YMAD does for these children. Our lessons give them confidence, and that is something they can carry with them throughout their whole lives, even if they forget English. I am hoping this experience will be similar. I am not nervous or disappointed that these girls are shy and that we may not be able to have genuine interactions with them for a while. We will be able to see them grow and blossom in a manner that would not be possible if they were comfortable with us from the first moment.

I am so excited to get started with our work here in India. Being here always gives me a renewed sense of self, and I feel things that were previously unimaginable to me. It seems odd that I could build relationships with people who do not speak the same language as me, but that is what happened last time. I fell in absolute love with every child we taught, and I can still remember their faces as they learned the English words during our lessons. I have a feeling this time will be exactly the same. I cannot wait to meet these girls and fall in love with another group. I am so ready.

Katie B