The End

It is time to say goodbye. I have been back in the United States of America for about 3 weeks now, and I am just now settling down in one place (Colorado Springs, Colorado). It's been a whirlwind return, and my experiences continue to flood me. I am not quite ready to settle down, get a job, live the "real" life. It is funny... I had so many moments this past semester that I would have given anything for one taste of American soil--now that I am here, I would give anything for one more tast of my IHP life. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy my past semester in full, but I think it is the curse of life to never soak everything out of the moments we are in, and then get thirsty for them later. The trick for me now is to utlize all the energy and knowledge from this past semester in my daily Colorado Springs life. I am learning that it is not as simple as it seems, but one way to do it is to continue to reflect and share.

So, I never uploaded any pictures this whole time... here it goes.
THE PEOPLE

My host moms! (India, China, and South Africa)





My Best Friends

Sunny is one pretty awesome girl who goes to Berkley. I had many a bus ride conversations with her.

Talia. Talia lives in San Fran, loves to cuddle, and was a huge emotional support for me.

Ariel (Ari) is my soulmate! End of story.

Nikki Kast was my favorite intellectual buddy. She expanded my mind in all sorts of ways that it had not dared have gone before.

Me, Talia, Nikki, and Ari. We were kind of a thing. They were such a huge, special part of my experience

Laura is one interesting girl. She went on the trip to Munnar with Ari, Talia, Nikki K, and I. She kept me smiling.

Nikki M. We didn't really get to know each other until we were roommates in South Africa. I am damn glad that happened. She is fantastic and so so smart!!!

The Places

Kerala, India in the tea plantations of Munnar. Absolutely breath-taking!

The famous God, Aneema, who came to visit!

The Great Wall of China

The Great McDonalds of China

Cape Point in Cape Town South Africa.

Zweletemba. The township I stayed in. This was the poorer part of town. The housing within townships vary widely from relatively well-off to no basic sanitation.

Ok... I'm sick of uploading pictures. So to see anymore you will have to come and visit me! Thank you to everyone who read this blog and sent me positive vibes throughout these past four months. I definitely got them. Transitions are always hard, but I am so thankful that I got to go on this journey and that I am now more aware than ever before of the priviledge that I carry in this world. Along with that awareness is great confusion of what I am to do with it. I hope to continue to ask questions, travel, listen, and learn throughout all I do in my life.