Ahmedabad, India

After being forewarned by Rupal and her family how different India is compared to the US, I was still somewhat surprised by how different it really is from anywhere I've traveled. Besides the Gandhi Ashram which was impactful and well done, Gujarat's largest city is not on the typical India tour route so it was an authentic experience in a busy Indian city where I stood out quite a bit more than at typical tourist destinations. Some of the unique experiences that I really enjoyed were a moped ride to the city center, a rickshaw ride weaving through traffic, the kite festival called Uttrayan with every rooftop in the city filled with people flying and cutting kites, and getting to meet and spend time with family members, some of which I hadn't met before.

Certainly a memorable week! I caught myself staring at the camels, monkeys, peacocks, and elephants on the busy streets and even caught plenty of locals staring at me - an interesting glimpse into quite a different world.

Thank you to all the family and friends that I was able to meet during my visit. Everyone was very welcoming and I even picked up a few Gujarati words along the way! Special thanks to Sanjay Mama and Darshana Mami for hosting us and helping plan our tour through India!Read more