Hello All! Let me recount our first day here in India:

Getting off the plane in Chennai was surreal…partially due to the huge sleep deficit I was fighting but mostly due to the realization that these were my first official steps on the continent of Asia.

I came into this class with the expectation that our trip to India would be an incredibly new experience, mostly because I was traveling with people I’d never traveled with before and because we’d be traveling as an academic cohort, fundamentally interconnected through our shared undying love for the subject of biology. Observe Rachel below, photographed  candidly during class back at Dartmouth in a moment of deep concentration:

But in all seriousness, the newness of the group faded within minutes during our first class meeting in September and we’ve quickly formed a family, as cliche as that may sound. It was a privilege today to step off the plane with a group of individuals, all of whom I respect so profoundly for not only their intellectual prowess, but more greatly for their zeal to learn and to love all that surrounds them. There would seem to be no greater group of people with which to travel the world.

Once we thoroughly cleared customs in Chennai and collected baggage, we headed to the hotel for a quick few hours of sleep. A few of us woke up early and headed downstairs to start the day. The highlights of today include the 2.5 hour breakfast, filled with dosas and chutney (beautifully modeled by Tammy)

and effortless conversation with Christine and Jalen,

as well as the plane ride to Madurai when I was sincerely concerned that Arun’s knees would not fit in the seat, pinpointing our exact geographic location on the giant world map on the wall in the Aravind Guest House,

seeing Bharani’s familiar and friendly face, and fitting five people into a tuk tuk intended for three.

Further, the temple was spectacular, bursting with color and ornate details that make you pause to fully appreciate the creativity and diversity of this world’s cultures, expressed so divinely through architectural works of art like this one;

We walked through the surrounding streets at the foot of the temple, only to find ourselves at one of the central markets where I was in awe to find even more color and creativity.

Maya and I wandered through the circuit maybe three or four times, still enjoying our third lap just as much as our first. It was the most sublime feeling to digest everything all at once, from the explosion of color and shining gold to the realization of just how different this culture differs from our own.

We embarked upon yet another tuk tuk adventure. Important to note: those with preexisting heart conditions should under no circumstances keep their eyes open when riding in Indian traffic. We made it safely home to the guest house and powered through our jet-lag to enjoy a fabulous dinner prepared for us and the other guests.

But even with the perfect day of touring and exploring, nothing could compete with the most innocent and genuine joy at the end of our day of being able to look around Emma and Rachel’s (unfairly giant and spacious) bedroom where we all huddled for a team meeting, and feeling so utterly appreciative to be exactly where I was at that particular moment.

I feel so fortunate to be sharing this most enthralling experience with these exact people who have made these past few months of learning together so incredibly engaging, productive, and just downright fun. An excellent first day to a trip that is destined to be a cherished lifelong memory!

Cheers from India!

-Caroline King