August 14, 2026
As I am writing my sixth journal entry, it feels a little different from my previous entries because the last couple of days have been much calmer. I am starting to write this journal entry in the middle of the day on August 14, so technically the day is not even over yet. There has not been a lot happening over the past day or so, but I think having this downtime has actually been a really important way to start wrapping up the trip and reflecting on the experience as a whole.
Yesterday was probably one of the calmest days we have had since arriving in India, and it was honestly really nice. We did not have an early morning wake-up call or anywhere we needed to be first thing, so everyone was able to sleep in and have breakfast whenever they got up. After having such busy days throughout most of the trip, it felt good to wake up without immediately having somewhere to go or something we needed to do.
In the afternoon, we went out to do a little bit of shopping. We left around 2:00pm and were out for almost two hours, which was more than enough time for me because it was incredibly hot and humid outside. Other than that, I spent quite a bit of time packing and getting organized to leave. I have very little left to pack before we head out tomorrow morning, which makes it feel much more real that this trip is coming to an end.
Something else I have really enjoyed during our downtime is that a few of us have been watching movies together in the evenings. It has been a nice way to wind down after the day while still spending time together instead of everyone going back to their own rooms and being completely in their own space. I have really enjoyed those little moments because they are not necessarily part of the planned field school experience, but they have still been an important part of the trip. It has definitely been better than sitting in my hotel room watching Criminal Minds by myself.
There is something nice about having these last couple of days be slower and calmer before everything becomes busy again with our long drive to Delhi tomorrow and then the long flights and travel days ahead of us. I am definitely looking forward to going home, seeing everyone, and getting back into my normal routine, but at the same time, I know I am going to miss being in India.
Looking back on the trip as a whole, I am so happy and grateful that I had this opportunity. I have made so many connections throughout this experience, not only with my classmates and Tanya and Chelsea but also with the students, professors, and other people we have met at the different schools and colleges throughout India. Going into this experience, I do not think I fully understood how meaningful those relationships and interactions would become. Teaching and discussing consent were obviously a major part of why we came here, but I think some of the most meaningful parts of the experience have also come from simply getting to know people, hearing their perspectives, and being welcomed into their communities.
Our final evening in India ended up being an especially meaningful way to finish the trip. After Sabreet had already left for the airport, we were invited over to her mom’s house to visit and were able to meet her dadi (grandma). I felt incredibly honoured that her family felt comfortable welcoming all of us into their home and sharing that part of their family and lives with us. After spending so much of the trip learning through schools, workshops, and more structured experiences, being welcomed into someone’s home felt much more personal.
Having Sabreet’s mom and dad join us for dinner afterward made the evening even more special. It was such a simple way to spend one of our last evenings, but it represented so much of what I have appreciated about being in India. The hospitality, relationships, generosity, and willingness of people to welcome us into their lives. It felt like a really meaningful way to bring the trip to an end.
Overall, these last two days were exactly what I think I needed before leaving India. They gave me time to slow down, spend time with the people I have shared this experience with, and begin processing everything that has happened over the past few weeks. I am excited to go home, but there is also a part of me that is sad this experience is ending. I know that I am leaving India with much more than what I came with. Not in the terms of everything I somehow have to fit into my suitcase, but through the relationships I have built, the experiences I have had, and the things I have learned personally and professionally.
It feels strange that this is already my sixth journal entry and that our time in India is coming to an end. Even though these last couple of days were quieter than many of the others, I think they gave me the space to appreciate the experience as a whole. I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to come here, and I know there are parts of this experience, and people I met along the way, that I will carry with me long after I am home.