When you move at warp speed, you're bound to hit some turbulence

"So, I'm just wondering...what's the speed limit here?" I asked, awkwardly placing my question in the middle of our conversation. "There are no speed limits. There are no rules when you drive here," Roma casually responded as she looked forward at the highway.

Once I arrived at the Udaipur Airport I met Roma, the program director of FSD's Udaipur program. She was certainly kind and patient, but there was a sense of wisdom and stability that carried through her presence as well as her dialogue. After two 8 hour flights and having my biological clock rattled, I was afraid that engaging in a conversation with her would result in a

pitiful fight to stay conscious.

Once we drove off though I was instantly wide-eyed and alert. Cars nonchalantly weaved left and right as speedy motorcycles tangoed with larger vehicles. Colossal trucks creeped from behind, singing a deep hum as they slowly passed us with only inches to spare. Honking was used to announce one’s presence rather than an act of distress or road rage. New York couldn’t compete with this madness! And in the mist of all this, Roma spoke to me as if we were sitting at a coffee shop.

The scenery was incredible! Remnants of ancient castles rim the bottom of several hills while mountains afar created the perfect backdrop. Everything struck me at once and the only thing I could think of was how surreal it all felt.

Roma was informing me about orientation week, my host family, and how we needed to shift my schedule around. Due to some visa issues I had to reschedule my flight and, unfortunately, missed orientation week. In an effort to catch up, I insisted that I had the stamina to do a condensed version. In one day we toured Udaipur on a motorcycle, met my host family, shopped at the old markets, and discussed the ins and outs of RBKS as well as what I should expect as an intern. It was an adventure. The FSD staff was very accommodating and continuously reminded me that they were always there for support.

My host family, the Brijwasi family, consisted of mother Pushpa, father Prem, 21 year old brother Pranay, and his 22 year old sister Niharika or Niki for short. They were a very, very sweet family. I shared my hobbies with the brother and found out that both of us enjoy running. Him and his cousin usually run around the lake at 5:30 am and they invited me to join. This was

splendid! Not only will I get my exercise in, but I really treasure being a part of the family’s activities. This was the view from a balcony across my room.

Although I was genuinely excited and deeply intrigued, the jet lag won over me by the end of the day. As I rested in my room, I couldn’t help but feel worried and confused. I understood the basics but the little details kept gnawing at me. I respected Roma, the FSD staff, my host family, and RBKS, which was why I was dissatisfied with just the basics. This is a special opportunity and whether it means making a genuine contribution to RBKS, deeply connecting with my host family, or falling in love with Udaipur, it will be all worth it.

That’s when I realized that I had a more important challenge ahead of me. Year after year, I was able to acquire knowledge in class by studying systematically – step by step, by habit, or a specific way. I do this successfully because, well, it’s school. I've realized that in cases like these, I cannot always rely on methods from my academic realm, as essential as they may be. I’ve come to accept that some things, especially for this internship, will be completely out of my control and even unfavorable. I want to know that in any situation, whether complicated or unpredictable, there will always be a sustainable solution. With this ending thought, I felt a spark of excitement and joy as I await another day.