I’m back!And by back, I mean my body is physically in Provo, Utah now, which is the beginning of the later process of my experience in India—making sense of it and completing my coursework. Truth be told, it has not been an easy transition. Reentry never is.
My little rendezvous across the globe were very rewarding experiences but gave me just five days recovery before classes started. I’m still jet lagged. My emotions have been all over, and life went on without me. It is hard sometimes to walk down the familiar grocery store isles or through the BYU Bookstore without feeling like I want to burst and tell someone—anyone, what I’ve seen. Four weeks ago I was leaving McLeod Ganj, my home for the last three months. Three weeks ago I was watching corpses burn by the dozens along the Ganges River in Varanasi, picking human ash out of my hair. Two weeks ago I was throwing grass at my friends on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. Last week I was eating gelato on the steps of the Pantheon, listening to a man play a harpsichord.
This week I am a student in the classroom again.
And next week, maybe I will have it figured out. Like my boxes sitting in the corner of my new apartment (that I cannot unpack yet due to an unexpected flooding prior to moving in), I’m anxious to get settled.
Here are a few first steps to help get me there:
- Email all of my professors and set up times to talk about my course contracts (due in a month)
- Finish reading books for Professor Easley’s class and brainstorm ideas for a final paper
- Write up my summary statements on the personal essays I’ve read and email them to Professor Bennion along with some rough drafts of two of my own personal essays
- Get involved and organized according to my Thesis Writing Class (HONRS 300R) and set goals to work on my thesis and coursework
- Continually update this blog and catch up on some posts I’ve missed
- Make personal goals to set aside time and work on drafts of my personal essays
- Critique this blog
Busy, busy, busy.
ReplyDeleteI have a two hour break on Wednesdays, if you're on campus, I'll study with you and tell you how awesome you are! It's always nice to have a personal cheerleader, I think. =)
Go you!
Oh Rachel, I feel your pain. At least, I remember it, and I know that I will be going through some of the same reverse culture shock next week.
ReplyDeleteHey Bru! I am thinking of you lots as you transition back to "the real world", whatever the heck that means anyway. I have decided that the real world is far, far from Provo, but anyway, we'll save that for another day. Love you!!
ReplyDelete