January 20, 2010.

Wow! First off I need to say how shocked I am how the past month has flown by. Second off – Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of you! I hope you all passed it well, in good company and health. It’s January 20th and I’m ages behind in this blog so here’s the story: I’m going to write a little back story as why I’m here (and why I went there) so everyone’s on the same page, then I’m going to (try)and write a story a day. And finally let’s begin…


The Before Story

First off a little background, Keegan my 16 year old brother found himself in an information session for the Rotary Club at his high school before Christmas 2009. Allegedly he’d been skipping class and ducked into the classroom to avoid a teacher – unbeknownst to him this little action of rebellion would land him in a different world a couple months later. Upon entering the classroom he was introduced to this youth exchange of kids aged 16 – 21 (ideally secondary school aged) that selected one child in every 3 high schools, mixed them all up and sent them to other countries to pass a year abroad. The Rotary Club is not only an academic exchange, but it’s also a cultural and language exchange.

Keegan was put through interviews, reference letters and was finally decided that his charming attitude, positive outlook and happy nature would be a perfect fit for the Rotarian Exchange. My parents passed the last couple of months before he left in mild shock that Keegan was actually seeing this through and I only when we waved him off at the airport did I think we all actually believe it.

Although all students of the exchange don’t get to pick where they are going they do get to choose their top 3 countries. Of course for those of you that know my family we all had our opinions and weren’t afraid to let Keegan know just which countries he should put down. In the end his choices, in order of preference were – India, Brazil and Turkey which he was selected to go to India.

Ok well if you really want to hear more about Keegan’s adventures in India you’ll have to check out his blog at: http://yexkhardy.blogspot.com/.

My keen traveling eye didn’t let this all pass by the wayside, rather I was already churning in my head how I could jump on Keegan’s bandwagon. We at first secretly discussed meeting up after his year abroad (if he went to India we’d meet up and trek in the Himalayas’, if he went to Turkey or Brazil we’d plan a biking trip throughout those countries) these plans were quickly dashed as mum swiftly informed us that ‘actually it was mandatory that Keegan return to Canada immediately after his year abroad’. After that I figured I would just come see him after my semester was over in the summer but then something rather exciting happened…


The promise.

Perhaps it was coming back to Calgary and more specifically moving back in with my parents that drove me to want to do something a little drastic. Or perhaps it was a desire to have a physical change – one that would stand as a physical mark to remind me of the growing and changing I’d gone through since leaving school. Nonetheless my mind had settled on a piercing. I spent the next couple of weeks collecting people’s opinions, peering at people on trains, buses and on the street and researching stories and meanings of various sides and piercings.

Piercings and tattoos had never held an interest for me and I was forever apprehensive about getting something and then not liking it, and all the familiar worry that happens similar to that of big purchases. However I had decided that a nose piercing would be something I would like. To be honest- I’m a girl that has grown up thinking there are right ways of doing things, so I even went and asked my boss (at my summer job) if it was ok that I was considering this. However my forever ‘right vs. wrong’ gut decided that on this decision the parents would sit out.

I met Keegan at the piercing parlor which he informed me upon meeting up with him, “I can’t watch you know.” I was insulted at first and was like, “why not?!” “Needles!” he said. Oh Keegan I forgot that you didn’t do so well with needles and all. Up until the moment before getting my nose pierced I had decided that I would get the right side done however for some unexplainable reason Keegan and I both decided last minute the left was better. Months later when I would arrive in India for the first time I would look around thoroughly pleased that the left side was obviously the ‘right’ side.

Arriving home with my new piercing in place I was ready to explain to my parents that this piercing was a promise that I would come to India to visit Keegan. Although I had to endure my fathers painfully not-so-funny jokes about my new ‘pressurize-r ’ on my face I was thoroughly satisfied with it and doubly so when people told me that it suited me and that they didn’t know whether to comment on it or not because it just looked like it fit.


September Semester

My first days of classes were filled with the normal buzz of summer talk and promising to actually read the textbooks. I had apprehensively returned to Lethbridge after an 8 month break to finish a degree that still didn’t quite strike true with my personality, and due to my travelling bug the friends that I had met last year had mostly graduated in my program.
Attending my first class I was delighted to find out I didn’t have a final exam during final exam week. As I headed over to my second class I was surprised again to find out that like my first class the final exam was simply on the last day of classes. As the first two day of classes carried on my anxiety grew – how lucky exactly was I? Is there a chance that all 5 of my classes – which were all 3rd year level courses - all didn’t have final exams during the final week?
Sitting in my last class I anxiously flipped through the class syllabus to find out that indeed – it was a sign, I had no final exam in this class either! With my going abroad to France in January it meant my semester started a bit later and therefore a trip to India for a month would be worth it.


Fall Semester in short

Although it’s only a memory now my semester was indeed crazy. Between exams, essays, presentations and visa applications I didn’t have much time to actually realize that I would be going to India. For one of my courses I had a final take home essay which I completed early so I wouldn’t have to write it on the plane. For my visa applications I had to fly out to Vancouver – which the hardest part was coming back to dry Lethbridge after spending an exciting weekend in van city catching up with friends and enjoying the green surroundings.

My friends knew to either find me in the Library or at the climbing gym as that was literally how I passed my time. If I wasn’t stressed about an exam or presentation I was madly trying to find the cheapest ticket from here to India and then to France. Additionally I fell sick 3 times during the semester (which is very abnormal for me) and had a bit of a nasty (and stupid) crash on my bike. I feel like most of my first semester was lived in fast forward and the many coffee dates promised by each passing friend in the hallway never actually materialized.

The days leading up to my hasty departure would only have happened because of my amazing friends specifically – Stine, Natalie, Reggie, and Christine. Without their help I’d literally be back in Lethbridge. Thank you all again!

More is coming of the actual journey... keep posted