6 destinations, 5 different climates, 4 friends, 3 weeks, 2 countries, 1 awesome holiday!

Last three weeks, I had traveling with my friends and it was the most amazing time. We started from New York. My friend Anna's grandparents live near New York City. We went to the city to watch a ballet performance at The New York Ballet and stayed at home the next day for their family Christmas Party. It was so much fun with her cousins, aunts and uncles... we had a great time. I also managed to meet her cousin and my friend Eric, whom I had not met for a long time. Of course, we took loads of pictures and ate a lot of food. It was the perfect start to a great holiday.

Anna and me in NY; Miranda, Anna and me on New Year's Eve

From New York, we flew to Raleigh in North Carolina to visit Anna's school best friend Miranda. She had visited Anna in Amherst last year and we became friends after that too. Raliegh was followed by Orlando, where we stayed for 2 days. Megan and Tricia joined us in Orlando and four of us went on a cruise to the Bahamas. We drove back from Orlando to Washington DC. After 5 days in DC, we flew back to New York and then drove to Amherst. It was a long hectic yet relaxed holiday and I took tons of pictures to document the travel.

North Carolina is one of the southern States along the east coast of US and has its own features. The southern is strong (but not so strong as Texas), the weather is warmer, it hardly snows and the land is flatter than Massachusetts. Raleigh has many tech-parks and its full of Software people.

Raleigh was going to be a relaxed destination. We met up with Anna's school friends, some of them came home with their kids, some just for an evening for games. We did some local things like downtown area, Krispy Kreme doughnuts (yummiest doughnuts ever!! I never thought I would love them so much!!). The University of North Carolina is in Chapel Hill and we visited the town, especially since Anna went to college there. It was a nice afternoon. We were in Raleigh for New Year's Eve. Like the ball that falls at midnight on New Years' Eve in Times Square, the Acorn Nut (State Nut of North Carolina) falls at midnight. There were also shows, performances and other stuff near the area throughout the evening. We got some face painting done, had deep-fried Oreo cookies (chocolate cookies---typical dish of the Southern States), saw Classical Indian Music performance by Americans, tram ride, sleigh ride, and others. We also watched a lot of movies, ate home-cooked food and slept a lot.




Disney Downtown: World of Disney shop; Huge Lego structure

On Jan 1, Anna and I flew to Orlando. Orlando is in Florida and is supposed to be a warm city. Unfortunately, there was a cold wave (yes, you all must have read about it in the news!!) and our plans of running away from the cold failed. Yet, it was not so cold as Amherst. Its the city which has Disney World (Theme Parks), Sea World, Universal Studios, Disney Town (where you can live in a house like in Disney cartoons) and their own Disney Downtown (with loads of shops, fancy restaurants, shopping places etc). The Kennedy Space Centre is also in Orlando.

We had just 1.5 days and honestly, we were both interested in being at Sea World. So, the day we reached, we headed out to see the Disney Downtown. It had the World of Disney shop, which had every possible item made, Disney characters endorsing them. Different types of shops from Disney---sports, fancy toys, food, accessories, cutlery, cookie cutter, etc etc etc. They also had a Lego showroom there (building blocks company) with life size and larger-than life size displays of building block structures (Huge Dragon in the water, little boys, and other displays). Some other fancy joints --clearly, meant for window-shopping!!

The next day, we wanted to be at Sea World right when it opens at 9am. We almost made it!! Anna attended some of the shows with me and then headed out to pick Megan and Tricia up from the airport and do some relaxing. I spent 12 hours in Sea World (they usually close at 6pm but due to Holidays, they were open till 9pm). They also had special shows for the Christmas. I saw and attended every possible show. There were shows by animals, acrobats, ice-skaters, fireworks. It was a beautiful day.



Sea World: Dolphin Show; with Sea Lions

Sea World was an awesome experience and it was a day I can never forget. Such close encoutners with animals I have only seen in pictures of on TV, such amazing feats done by animals... it was a great way to spend my day in Orlando.

There were shows by dolphins. I think this was the best one as it involved Acrobats, colourful parrots and dolphins. Then, there was Sea-Lions Show, Whales Show, Acrobatic Dance show, rides, natural habitat zoo, Arctic animals, horses, and tons of opportunities to click pictures. Clearly a place to bring your children!

There were three crazy rides too. I went for the first one which was not so dangerous... it was a 90 degrees drop from a height and was fun. That gave me encouragement to go for the next crazy ride----this one turned you around in 360 degrees and 180 derees a multiple number of times. I was scared initially but it was awesome!! It also had a huge drop from the top. I wanted to go for the third ride but they closed it down for some technical problems. There was a tower with a revolving cabin to get an eagle's view of the Sea World. I went for that too. Needless to say, I was drained out of all my energy by the time they came to pick me up.

International Drive is supposed to be the Downtown area for tourists. You can find all possible restaurants and hotels there. There was an interesting Upside-Down house right infront of our hotel. It was indeed a landmark.


Enjoying the sunset on the cruise

The next day, we headed out to Port Canaveral, an hour's drive from Orlando, to go for the cruise. My first cruise ever and it was awesome. The water was a little rough the first day and I felt a little nauseous. But, the experience was awesome. It was very cold yet we managed to enjoy a lot. Like all cruise lines, this one had a club, open decks, swimming pools, hot tubs, casino... it also has a mini golf course and water park. We intended to go for both of them on the last day but it was so windy that we just could not do the activities.

By the time we left the port on day one, it was evening and we decided to just enjoy the ride. I went for a long walk, clicking pictures of the sea, horizon, sunset and explored all the decks. Post Dinner, we went for a dance performance and a comedy show.



Freeport: Lucaya Beach; Para-sailing; Snorkeling

We reached Freeport next morning.That day I explored Freeport and did some water sports. We had to be back by 4:30pm. This is a small island and mostly for Cruise-tourists. They have a beautiful beach called Port Lucaya and several other small beaches. A lot of water sports happen there....mostly Snorkeling and Para Sailing. I did both!! (Grin Grin) I also walked along the beach for a long time and soaked in the Sun. The local marketplace was interesting and most of the items were made from Straw and Bamboo. Since tourism is a major part of their economy, people are very friendly towards foreigners, especially tourists. They welcome you to look inside the shops as they know that tourists are there to spend. Most shops are also operated by women, as men work mostly in the Shipping industry, their biggest industry in the country. These women are mostly middle-aged and continue their crafting, sewing and other artisty things while handling their business.

Dinner was special as it was Elegant Dinner and we all got dressed for a formal sit-down dinner. It was fun being served 4 courses of meal over 2 hours. Although Anna, Megan and Tricia stayed up at the club, I was so tired that I went off to sleep pretty early.



Nassau: Junakoo Beach; Scuba diving; beautiful sunset

Day three, we were at Nassau and I explored the area and went for scuba diving. Nassau is the capital of Bahamas and has traits of commercialization as well as colonial rule. They have most American brands but localized flavours. It has a beautiful downtown area, and interesting museums on slavery. I went for scuba diving here and loved it to the core. It was very windy outside and extremely difficult to walk. I wanted to go to the Atlantis Hotel to see the dolphins under the sea but could not do it. Maybe, next time! Like Freeport, I noticed similar patterns around the shops in Nassau. Women, middle aged, mostly working while handling their shops, welcoming tourists, friendly to them.

The ship stayed overnight at Nassau but it was so windy that we decided not to. There was another performance and some more comedy night. We skipped most of the events like Trivia Quizzes, Karaoke Nights...Day 3 was completely at sea... relaxing at the deck, long walks along the deck, failed attempt to play mini-golf, card games at night, midnight Mexican buffet... and finally, we were back!

Once we reached Orlando, we were on the road to Washington DC. It was a 14 hour non-stop drive. We stopped at a few places and after 14 hours, we were about 1.5 hours away from DC. The drive was interesting as we could notice the stark changes in landscape, trees, weather (moving from warmer regions to colder regions), flatness of the roads, shops, billboards....I slept a lot in the backseat (thanks to a motion-sickness medicine) but enjoyed scenic views as well.


Washington DC

We stayed the night at a motel and reached DC early Friday morning. I wore my tourist shoes and went on a long walk. This was not a wise decision as it was freezing that day and walk from our hotel to White House, then Washington Memorial, Capitol Building, Museums, Chinatown and back to the hotel was a LONG one. The next day, I took the metro and had a less tiring day. I went to the National Archives and Natural History Museum. I took Sunday off to relax and regenerate my energy for the two-days of networking events organized by Megan for our department students. We met alumni, federal departments on job prospects and options. I fell sick that day with a cold (DC winter was biting into my skin!!) and stayed in bed the next day. We packed and left for NY the next day.

The drive from NY to Amherst felt really long and I was glad to be back!

Adventures during Fall 2009

The journey from Bombay to New York was one of the longest one I ever took…it was the same time as the last time I took the flight from NY to Bombay but this time, it was really different simply because I had not spent more than 12 hours without talking to Saurabh. It’s strange but it’s true too. I was looking forward to getting to JFK airport, turning my cell-phone and giving him a call. But the journey wasn’t so bad after all—I slept and watched movies that I have seen before. It took me an hour to get to the Bus Station, another hour’s wait for the bus and then five hours to Amherst. Finally, I was home---tired and sleepy.

It was Labor Day weekend and my roomies were out on a holiday. It felt strange to be back and somehow it felt that I had not left at all. But, I know that I had and life had changed since the last time I was in that apartment. Strange, isn’t it? I was all ready for the semester but before that, I wanted to take a back seat and relax. I met Anna and the girls for a swim and some nice BBQ at her place. Now, I was ready for the semester. Bring it on!

It was fun to get back to school, old and new faces, same campus…honestly, I loved it! Classes began and I got into a nice routine---routine that altered between school, assignments, having fun and skyping with Saurabh. Well, honestly, that had become an important part of my life and I looked forward to it every single day.

Soon, it was time for Fall colours and I was so excited to take a long walk, clicking the awesome scenery.

And, then, it was birthday time! I was missing Saurabh and I wanted to spend my birthday with him. But, that was not really possible since he was in India. He wished me for midnight in India and I was not sure is he will get up early enough to wish me at midnight for US. But, he did. He got up and came online at 11:30pm. At midnight, Ajanta, Supratim, Rashmi and others came to wish me with cake. Ajanta gave me a platter from Saurabh and I was wondering how that was possible. Looks like, Saurabh got in touch with Ajanta and Supratim on Facebook and asked them to get me a cake from him. I was so happy that he was on skype when I cut the cake, and it got smashed on my face too (wink wink w

ink)…The day was awesome too---brunch with Ajanta and Supratim; and then, Ben Fold’s show with Megan and Tricia. I was a little sad that Anna was in hospital and couldn’t be there but I prayed that she feels alright and we all missed her so much!! (We love you Anna!!)

Midnight surprise...

Diwali was next and I spent it with my cousins in Boston. It was Vansh’s first Diwali and we were excited too. We started preparing for Diwali Night and it turned out to be a great success too. Excitement was also building for my wedding---the date was finally finalized and I was so excited. What was more exciting that one of my best friends Kriti got engaged to Mark. I think I was more excited about their engagement than I was for mine.

Thanksgiving was round the corner and I was planning to go to NY with my cousins but a weekend before that, I realized how much work I have for the finals and I decided not to. That turned out to be awesome. I got some work done, not a lot, but I also spent some relaxing time at Anna’s place with her family and Irene. From then on, it was a crazy time---the last two weeks were crazy and I am glad that I finally got through that.

My roomie Shruti was goign back to India to get married and we wanted to give her a bridal Shower before she leaves. It was going to be a surprise for her and I was scared that she will find out. But, luckily , she didnt realize anything till she came to the apartment door and saw the decorated door...it was superb girls night and we laughed, played games, ate a lot of food and shared a lot of fun stuff!!

Somewhere in between, when Anna was well again, we sat down and decided to take a break and go for a nice vacation (I am on my vacation right now!!). After a lot of deliberation, we decided on a road trip from Amherst/NY to Raleigh (in North Carolina), then Orlando (in Florida), take a cruise to the Bahamas and then drive back via Washington DC for the networking event organized by the department. Later in the semester, Anna was not too sure about the road trip so we decided to fly. Gosh! That was such a relief as it came out to be more relaxing.

I spent Christmas Eve with Anna’s family as they follow Polish tradition of Christmas Eve Feast and then midnight mass. It was awesome---we made some cookies and the mass was beautiful too. The next morning, we opening our stockings and it was so much fun!! I have never done the stockings before and it was so thrilling to just see whats inside it. There was more to come….gifts!!! Opening the gifts was so much fun and Anna got me SO MANY gifts!! Scarf, gloves, socks, snuggler, books, cap….her parents got me book and Nick got me an awesome candle. I was super thrilled…and, the Christmas spirit continued when we went to NY to celebrate the Devey family Christmas party.

With all my lovely gifts...

But, before that, I had to pack, clean the apartment and get it ready for the pest control. It was a lot of work but it worked out eventually. And, now I am looking forward to the cruise and spending some awesome time with the girls…

some snapshots from Cape Cod and Summer.. :)

Truro is the town in Cape Cod where Bob and Joan have their home.



National Seashore Museum



With Bob, Joan and Ms Mary (Joan's mom) during Dinner in Provincetown




Saurabh and me... this one is my fav!

Superbly surprising summer….

The entire procedure of getting to JFK and checking in for the departure was tiresome (5 hours from Amherst to New York City with changing buses at Springfield; dragging my heavy suitcases to the taxi pick up point; another 45 minutes to reach the airport; standing in queue for checking in!) By the time I was done, I was exhausted. I picked up some more chocolates for my folks and wished to board as soon as possible. Once I reached Bombay, I was so excited to be home. I had packed separate bags for stuff that I brought for Bombay and Calcutta. I felt like Santa Claus, opening all the things I had gotten for them. Every 5 minutes, my brother was like, “Oh! This is nice. Take one packet for Papa.” I explained him every time that there were similar things for Papa and Mummy in the other bag. Anyways, I felt nice that they enjoyed all the stuff. We slept really really late and honestly, I was still in US time. Early next morning, calls started pouring in and I was fast asleep. They finally woke me up at 1am in the afternoon for lunch. My brother gave me the cell and a list of people who called to talk to me. Boy! I was important… ;)

Lunch was good and I did some more sleeping that day. Evening was slow with meeting cousins and family. The next day, I did some shopping and headed for Calcutta. I was looking forward to being home and it was great to be back. Somehow, I didn’t feel that I was gone anywhere. Everything was the same. I joined work---Save the Children Bal Raksha Bharat as an intern. My office was hardly 15 minutes walk from home. This was great as I could get up late and be one of the first people to get there. Weekends I met cousins, friends, family….the sun felt nice and everyone was laughing at me as I wanted to walk in the Sun. Well, when you spend almost 6 months at a place where the sun goes down at 4pm and some days it doesn’t come out, where it snows from December to April, you would know why I loved the Sun so much. My childhood friend Amrit was getting married in mid-June and I got a little busy for a while. By end-June, I had planned a trip to Bangalore, soaked in the Sun, met most of my friends and cousins, and enjoyed everything I wanted to do when I was home and honestly, I was beginning to wonder if I would get bored for the next two months simple because I was running out of things to do!!

Now, when I got back to Calcutta, I told my parents that I didn’t really have anyone in my life and if they wanted to start looking out for me, they could, as long as I had the option on finding someone for myself too. The first proposal came within a few days---my Mom’s friend’s son. To cut a really long story short, I met his sister and we got along. Then, we exchanges photographs and biodatas (resume for weddings!) and of course, I goggled his name, came across his blog and thought I might be able to live my life with this person. We met in the last week of July and he told me that he goggled my name too and read my blogs. We met twice and decided to get married. The late-night calls started and we had one weekend before I headed to Bangalore for a small engagement ceremony. I went a few days ahead of my parents, simply because I wanted to spend some time with Dr Shobha, meet a few friends and also spend some time with Saurabh. We had a great time together and got to know each other a little more. The engagement ceremony went awesome too and there were relatives that came from Chennai and Bombay too. After a great week of being in Bangalore, I came back with a heavy heart and started preparing for my trip back to the US.

I wasn’t sure if Saurabh was going to come to Bombay or not but during the last week in Calcutta, he told me that he can come on Friday night and spend Saturday with me. I was leaving on Saturday night but any time spent with him would have been great! But, he surprised me by coming on Thursday night and spending the Friday with me. It was simply out-of-the-world. I knew I wanted to meet him before I left and I guess he wanted the same too. Right now, I really don’t know when I will see him next but I am definitely looking forward to it.

And, I am back from my hibernation...

The last time I wrote my blog was a long long time ago and honestly, I have been thinking about updating it since then! But, I do as bad job at updating blogs, don’t I? Anyways, so, after my Chicago trip that I took in March, the next best thing that happened was Cape Cod in May. Life between Chicago and Cape Cod was pretty hectic---had finals and paper submissions and loads of partying. Sometime after Chicago, I finalized my summer plans of going back to India and being home while I did my internship. India Night happened in April and we were busy getting the evening together. This time, we did a diya dance, which was basically a semi-classical dance with diyas (lamps); and a “Festivals of India” sequence where we represented different festivals like diwali, holi, eid, durga puja etc. It was great putting up the show and it turned out to be a great success. It’s always fun doing things outside the class and its even better when others appreciate the effort you put in it. Right?

Cape Cod was like a relaxation period after the finals. My host family, Bob and Joan, wanted me to go to their home in the Cape and experience the sea-beaches there before I head home. So, we headed to the Cape during the Memorial Day weekend. That was the first weekend they were going to take their boat out too. I was super-excited about it. I had heard a lot about the Cape and knew for sure that they will take GOOD care of me---making sure that I do touristy things and see a lot of the places. The drive to the Cape was interesting. I had told Bob and Joan about my decision to tell my parents to set me up with someone when I get back. They wanted to know how the arrange marriage system works in India. For every little detail I gave, Bob had a zillion questions and it was fun explaining everything to them. The first day was kind of relaxed---we went to the Corn Hill and Corn Beach. This was the part where the beach was facing the bay. We took a nice long walk, enjoying the breeze, soaking in the good air and just enjoying. (It’s amazing that I still remember all the details---it feels like so long ago!). I was looking forward to going on the boat the next day. We packed all the boat stuff and hoped that it wasn’t raining in Orleans (part of the Cape where their boat was docked). But, alas, it was raining a bit. Nonetheless, we headed out on the boat, hoping that it would be alright in a while. The rain became worse and it was getting difficult to see. So, we decided to get back and do some touristy things. We went to the National Seashore Museum and saw some documentaries about the Cape. We also saw their Museum with artifacts from the olden days at the Cape. In the evening, we had reservations for dinner at a fancy restaurant in Provincetown (which is the tip of the Cape). We walked around downtown Provincetown, saw the Pilgrimage monument from far and took some pictures along the beach.

The next day, we went to the Lighthouse in Truro. We climbed till the top and heard stories about its history and how it was moved. We also went to Provincetown and climbed the Pilgrimage Monument. There is a stone path that leads to the last point at the Cape. It was a long long walk and there is a lighthouse at the end. We didn’t really do the entire path but walked up till a point where there was sea on both sides of the path and took pictures! Smart, isn’t it? In the evening, we went for a long hike in the woods that led to the sand dunes and eventually to a beach along the national seashore. It was a long walk but a good one too. A good movie followed and then some more movies for me (while everyone went to bed).

Day three was our last day at the Cape and they really wanted me to have a boat experience. Luckily, it was a sunny day. While Joan finished cleaning the house and closing it down, Bob, Ms Mary (Joan’s mother) and I went to Truro Vineyard for a tour. Their tour was not due for some time so I did some wine tasting. I have never done wine tasting in my life and it was some experience. They had some wines from other vineyards while others were their own product. Their own products were bottled in glass-shaped lighthouses. It was a nice experience for sure and I had fun doing it. We headed out for the boat and were lucky to have an hour into the sea. I saw a seal jumping take a dive into the sea and the ride was fun. Bob also let me steer the boat for a while and I felt like I could do it well. Just basking in the sun felt good---especially since summer was on its way and I didn’t have to wear layers!!! On the way back, we had some nice conversations too. Once back in Amherst, I knew I would have tons to do----packing, cleaning the room for my sublet, meeting a few people before I left for home, some last minute shopping…!! Summer was here and I was thrilled about it… I knew it was going to be a good time but honestly, I had absolutely no idea as to what life had in store for me!!!

At RI HQ, I am a Princess....

Being blown off by the wind…..and hospitality at Rotary Headquarters!!

The story begins at North-East Link, when I met the outbound Coordinator, Brent Dage and he suggested that since I am so inspired by Rotary, I should visit the Headquarters. He also added that my then-coordinator (since I am an inbound scholar) Bryant Brownlee could help me get in touch with some Rotarian, who could help me arrange for stay and plan the trip. So, I started literally bugging Bryant, and he finally introduced me to Patrick Linden, who is a Rotarian with RC Chicago Far North and also had been Scholarships Coordinator for the District. So, we started planning my trip way back in November. Initially, the President of his club offered to host me but due to some circumstances, that didn’t work out. Meanwhile, I had made an appointment with the RI HQ for a tour, informed my coordinators (Laura Allen for World Peace Fellow, past coordinator Bryant Brownlee and present coordinator Jill Gunter, Scholarships head Renee Stephenson) that I would be visiting and I would love to spend some time with them. I also got in touch with the Rotract Incharge at RI HQ and got contact details of the District Rotract Representative (DRR) for Chicago, Holly. I wanted to utilize the trip to the maximum and hence wanted to meet some Rotractors as well as present at some Rotary Clubs. So, while Patrick helped me arrange for two presentations, Holly got me in touch with the Rotract Presidents in Chicago. I also made an appointment to visit the first club ever, RC Chicago, also known as Rotary One. When the housing with the club president didn’t work out, one of the Rotractor helped me find a place with some of his friends. SO, there I was, starting my Spring Break, visiting a city where I practically didn’t know anyone personally, all because they had the Rotary connection.

With Paul Harris’ Statue at HQ

Reaching Chicago:

My Host District’s (7890) Asst Gov, Marcel was a sweetheart to drop me off at the airport. Patrick and his daughter, Noell, came to receive me at the airport and we headed to a fund-raising event for their club. It was a Jazz night at a pub and the proceeds from the bar would go to a Project they were supporting in Uganda. Yes! Rotary from the moment I landed! It was actually fun, as

I am not too much into Jazz bands. We headed out pretty early as I had a hectic week coming up and was also tired after the journey!

Day One and I am the Princess...:

With President D.K.Lee

My very first appointment for the trip was at RI HQ. Thanks to a package that Patrick had given me, which contained maps, directions, places to visit as a tourist and other items, I reached Evanston on my own (Evanston is on the northern side of Chicago, and very much accessible via subway trains). I started my tour with another Rotarian, who had been an Exchange Student as well and she was like, “It’s like visiting our Mecca!” I could not help, but agree with her. While we were taking pictures, President Lee walked up to me and asked if I were a Rotarian. I said, “No, I am a Scholar from India”. He said, that then we should definitely take a picture together. He then mentioned that he met another Scholar from India at RI/UN Day. I smiled, and informed him that it was me! :)

After the tour, I met my coordinator Jill, who along with Laura, took me out for coffee. I exchanged my experiences with them, asked them about their experience at Rotary and how was it like to work there. Post-coffee, I met with the Alumni Coordinator, who inspired me to be in touch even when I finish my term. They have all sorts of cool things---conventions for Alumni, newsletters for the activities that Alums have been doing but their biggest challenge is for the Alums to keep in touch! Lunch was next on the agenda, with Bryant, Renee and Jill, where we exchanged more news and experiences. Honestly, I had been emailing them for so long—it was so good to put faces to names! I really felt like a Princess at Rotary Headquarters---especially when they said they had arranged for a photo-shoot for me. It was just out-of the world experience. I would recommend to all Scholars to visit HQ, if they can.

Row one: (Left) L-R: Laura, me and Jill; (Right) L-R: Bryant, me and Renee; Row Two: (Left) L-R: Jill, me and Renee; (Right) RI HQ Entrance.

I explored Evanston a bit, before meeting up with one of my college seniors from India, who, as I found out a week before visiting Chicago, was working at North-Western University and living in Chicago. Downtown Chicago was next on my list and I walked up and down the Magnificent Mile, before heading back.

Day two and some more Rotary!

Tuesday started with presentation at RC Chicago Far North and followed by visit to RC Chicago, with Millennium Park (Yes, the famous Chicago Bean) and the Art Institute in between. Noell had volunteered to take me to Devon Avenue, the Indian area in Chicago for lunch and we explored the area. I really felt like I was in India when I got there! Tuesday was a beautiful day and I utilized it to walk on Michigan Avenue, near the Lake and enjoying the evening breeze.

A day for myself...

I didn’t have any appointments for Wednesday, at least not till the evening, and I wore my tourist shoes and explored the city on foot, literally! Adler Planetarium, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier and Deep-dish Pizza at Numero Uno! The day was adventurous as I almost got lost on my way to Navy Pier and walked the whole day…The evening was reserved for a Game-Night at a Rotract Meeting but I was so tried, after early mornings for 3 days, hardly any sleep and walking around the city, that I decided to skip it (which was probably a bad idea but at that time, looked like the best one L ). But, the best part is, the tourist in me was satisfied. I had never explored any city on my own, especially a new city and now, I am confident to go anywhere in the world and not worry that there is no one to take me around, or help me go to places or just give me company. I actually enjoyed the day with myself, exploring, getting lost and finding the way back again!

Final day in the Windy City…

A presentation at RC Lakeview started the last day in Chicago. I had explored most of the city, so I headed back to Devon Ave (On Tuesday, most of the shops were closed!) and ate a nice Indian lunch, followed by some window-shopping. It was a relaxed day and I wanted to end it early—I had an early morning flight the next day and had to leave for airport at 4:30am in the morning! Phew! And, of course, Marcel came to receive me at the airport again! Honestly, I don’t know what I would do without him around!!

Lastly…….

Just a note to all the Scholars, whether you are inbound or outbound, do visit the HQ when you can—even after your term is over…it is just amazing…and do keep in touch with them, they REALLY want to know what we do once we finish our terms. And, guess what, we can always apply for a job at HQ—some of the people who worked there were Scholars as well! Nice, isn’t it?