In retrospect (with the wisdom I’ve gained in the two months since I’ve bid you farewell for good), I have no idea how I was so confident, given how often I am wrong.

My life in the U.S. was so full of responsibility, of titles, of opportunities. And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about how reality could have been very different had my parents not immigrated to the U.S.

Sometimes, I take these pieces of my culture for granted. Only in retrospect do they gleam and reflect like an incomplete mirror, showing me a space in a community that I am part of, yet occupy only partially.

If you’ve ever grown up around people from India, you’ll often hear the invitation, “Come inside, let’s have some chai.”

Reflecting on our experience, I realized the importance of conscientious tourism – an approach that seeks to support local communities rather than exploit them for personal gain.

The mango showers are perhaps my most favorite natural phenomenon. The light pre-monsoon rains help in ripening the mango from its raw sourness to its golden sweetness – the very essence of the summer in India.