I stepped off the plane and I immediately was in a whole new environment. Little did I know that I would experience so many extremely different ways of living over the next three weeks. My parents both moved to New York when they were nine so I’ve grown up in a modern household. As a result, my sister and I didn’t experience a lot of Indian culture. My family decided it was time for us to see where we came from so they planned a family vacation to India. This trip was important to my family because my sister, cousin, and I were finally able to see where our parents and grandparents grew up and lived. First, we went to Kerala, India, my dad’s hometown, and we stayed in his childhood house with our family that lived there. Since the house was on a farm, I was able to experience the farm lifestyle. In addition, I had no cell service or wifi so I was forced to spend a lot of time outside. However, this turned out to be great because I was able to spend quality time with my family and experience the conditions that others lived in. Next, we traveled to my mom’s home town, New Delhi, India. There, we stayed in the nicest, most luxurious hotel I had ever been to. Finally, we visited the Taj Mahal. The view was breathtaking and after taking a tour, I got a miniature version of the Taj Mahal to take home. Whenever I look at this replica of the Taj Mahal, it reminds me of my life changing and eye opening trip to India.

– Sapna S.

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