Wow. The first four days of GROW have been some of the most memorable days of my life so far. Having never traveled to India before, I tried to arrive at SOVA with little to no expectations. I figured that having no expectations about what I was going to be experiencing, seeing, and feeling would be the best way to put aside any preconceived notions I had and allow me to fully immerse myself in the new environment. As of today, I stand by the decision to begin GROW with this mindset. As our plans have been a little wonky these first few days, I have noticed myself beginning every new day with an open mind, something that I often struggle with. I have experienced all sorts of emotions in these first four days, but mostly I have felt welcomed and connected. Throughout the amazing welcome ceremony that the SOVA staff and trainees provided us with, I could not help but look around the room at all the smiling faces that were present. From Mr. Mishra’s subtle smile as he watched our previously prepared “Meet Our Chapter” video, to Dani’s beaming smile as she had paint smeared across her face, to the shy, but genuine, smile of the trainees as they sang us a song of welcome, joy seemed to be present in every corner of the room. From day 1, this has been my favorite part of GROW. The smiles shared between Leo and Lori (Mr. Mishra’s 9 year old daughter), between David and Dani as we recap the day over evening chai, between Antoinette and a local doctor when she shares that she too is interested in medicine, and between the 19 year old trainee and myself that breaks through any sort of language barrier that may exist between us, are the moments that continue to stand out to me.
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authorsAntoinette Nguyen |