I’ve heard dozens of times that “life begins at the edge of your comfort zone,” and that’s probably one of the most accurate truths of living. Two years ago today, I was in Coimbatore, India on my first missions trip and my first authentic cross-cultural experience. The two weeks I spent there with a team working at a school and orphanage were what began to really open my eyes to the world outside my own American bubble, and if not for that trip, I probably wouldn’t be going on the World Race.
The journey to India really began in November 2011, when approached my SIFE/Enactus advisor (who I barely knew at the time) and said “Carrie, I want to go to India.” Then came the awkward conversation of telling my parents my plans (which I think was a good warm-up for my decision to leave the country for 11 months on the Race…) and before I knew it, I was officially part of a team that would include nine Roberts Wesleyan students, one alum, and two advisors.
(The team singing Father Abraham for the kids for what was probably the 20th time…
Back row: Heather, Erin, Kaitlyn, Taylor, Jacqui, Erv. Front row: Alyssa, Megan, Becky, me, Amy, Carrie.)
For the next few months I anticipated the trip, met weekly with some of the team, planned our ministry activities, prepared supplies (most of which we accidentally left in Rochester, but that’s not the point), and learned a little about the culture. At the end of May, we were off to the Miracle Garden Orphanage and Chandra Bose school, to teach a curriculum to the students at the school and serve at the orphanage wherever/however they needed us. The two weeks that followed pushed me over the edge of my comfort zone and gave me no way to come back up, but once I hit the ground and recovered from the shock, it was time to run.
When I first met the kids at the orphanage, I hit the language barrier full-force and it took me a while to find my way through. The school taught English to the kids, but I didn’t know a single word in Tamil. I eventually got around the metaphorical wall through soccer and cricket, and went on from there to get to know some of the kids. (Lesson 1 for the World Race: get creative)
Being an education major at the time, I was supposed to be one of the lead teachers for our week-long business curriculum, but an encounter with dehydration/ambiguous traveler’s illness and the trip to the hospital that followed put that to a halt, and after spending a few days out of commission I rejoined the team as a group leader instead of a teacher. That was okay with me – I was just happy to be back. (Lesson 2 for the World Race: things won’t always go as planned – adapt or be left behind)
The days at the orphanage were long, but I wouldn’t have traded them for anything. There was always something to do, something to learn, or something new to see, and I never wanted to leave. I remember sitting on top of a pile of luggage in our van as we left for the airport to return home, taking in the last sights, sounds, and smells (so much curry, all the time) of India before I had to go back to “real life.” I remember two of my students from the school who were in my group coming to say goodbye to me before they went home on a Friday – I don’t know if they even knew I was leaving for good. And I remember Vignesh, one of the boys who lived at the orphanage and always came to find me when our team arrived each morning, not wanting to let go of my hand before I left. When I finally made it home after 20 hours of travel, I knew that I wouldn’t be the same person I was before I’d gone to India, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Two years later, here I am. Three months from going on the World Race, ready to spend almost a year living in community with another team (which for an introvert like me is a daunting prospect, but I know I can do it) working in all kinds of settings in all kinds of places. If it wasn’t for India, I would be unsure, I would be scared, and I might not have even applied. It’s time to leap off the edge of my comfort zone again, and I can’t wait.
(If you would like to read more about India, you can find posts about each day on my other blog: Stars in the Universe)
