14 hours later...

I haven't had internet access until now, but I've been trying to write a few entries here and there. My computer wasn't working for a while, I think it was the moisture where we were staying, but its back up and running!!! so I'll try to start updating you all regularly now.

I’m here. In India. I’m really here, in India.

That’s what I keep telling myself, over and over again, but it still seems so surreal.

Although I landed in Mumbai yesterday evening, my experience definitely started the previous evening around 7:00pm EST when I left my mom at airport security. As I approached my gate I kept sub-consciously scanning for other westerners who might’ve been on my flight. There were a few hopefuls, but no, they were heading to Eastern Europe and waiting in the wrong gate. So yes, I was the only non-Indian passenger on flight AI140 from JFK international airport. Among all of the brightly colored saris, bubbly Indian accents, and tightly nit families was little me in my supposed Indian appropriate clothing (lose GAP peasant skirt with corresponding lose linen top). Of course I stuck out like a soar thumb, or at least it felt that way. I was served some not so delicious Indian airplane food and attempted to sleep for most of the thirteen and a half hours. My flight went smoothly, but when the time came to land and I had to put my seat in ‘the upright position’ my heart started to race and I had a whole swarm (?) of butterflies in my stomach. Yes, finally my nerves had really kicked in. They intensified more when I, again the only non Indian, got on a little bus from the plane to take to the actual airport arrival and baggage claim. I cant even begin to explain how antsy or nervous I was going through the swine flu check (all the officials were wearing masks, they must’ve known SFH, the American contaminator, was coming), then customs, and finally baggage claim where I had almost convinced myself my luggage was lost because I had forgotten to put my cute little personal info tag on it.
I made it out safely, withdrew a random amount of rupees from the ATM, was met by the Alliance for Global Education contact and quickly escorted to a van where three other students were waiting. This is when I was really exposed to India for the first time, and it was amazing!
We loaded our bags into the back of the van and piled in. To our pleasant surprise, in concert with the start of the rumbling engine came the sound of traditional Indian music. We were then driven about 20 minutes through Mumbai to our hotel. I would never drive in India! The driving is insane! All the cars, trucks, buses, vans, and motor rickshaws weave in and out of the lanes all the while honking their horns and maintaining a maximum of 6 inches distance from the vehicles around them. It was quite an experience unseatbelted from the back of a van.
When we got to the hotel around 11:00pm Indian time they had hot, yummy, Indian dinner ready to order from the hotel. Fighting off our evident exhaustion, the 20 students sat around the table and talked for a bit, then headed up to our rooms to try sleep…didn’t work to well the first night…