A Few Of My Firsts During India Fellow Training

It’s been nearly two months that I moved out of Kolkata. I had a very sheltered life till now and I never got a chance to explore much. But within two months of my India Fellow journey, I have experienced many such things which will be etched in my memory forever. Here are some of those experiences-

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Udaipur

Stayed in a hostel– Hostel life is supposed to be the most exciting years in a student’s life. I never got to experience it before since my college was in Kolkata itself. So during the induction training of India Fellow, I finally got to stay in a hostel along with my co-fellows and mentors. After each days training, I would eagerly wait to get back to the hostel as all my tiredness would magically vanish once I reached there. Whether it was sitting and gossiping near the staircase, discussing about ‘gyaan’ received during class, crying over assignments, playing ‘Mafia’, going for long walks in the campus or just knocking at everyone’s door to check what is going on; it all became a part of my daily routine. Induction training got over too soon, can’t wait for midpoint training!

Happy faces

Hitchhiked– I, along with three of my co-fellows had gone to a village called Iswal in Udaipur. While coming back from there we were stranded as we could not get any public transport near the highway. Then we saw a truck coming our way and we thought we should try our luck by asking for a lift. The driver, a middle aged man, obliged us by offering to drop us somewhere near the city. I somehow controlled my excitement as I sat beside him and looked at the beautiful view ahead. A hitchhike experience was definitely a part of my tacit bucket list. The ride through could not have been better, as I bonded with my co-fellows over some ‘puraani yaadien’ and good music.

A day in the field (Dalsingh Sarai, Bihar)

Embracing nature– The rural India that one visualizes from the descriptions in textbooks and television gives you a partial idea of how the villages of our country actually are. My fellowship journey ensured that I get to see and experience the real beauty of our villages. The green fields seem to stretch forever, only briefly interrupted by the villages they sustain. You automatically become a nature lover once you visit such mesmerizing places on a regular basis.

Cohort love

Falling in love within two weeks– I met a bunch of crazy people in Udaipur. All were from different cultural and educational backgrounds and had unique stories of their own. Never did I imagine that just within few days of knowing each other, I would get so attached to them. It’s good to know that there are people whom you can fall back to when the going gets tough. And I feel lucky that I have found such people in this fellowship journey. Love you, co-fellows!