March 5, 2023

The 3 C’s in life

Hostel Rooftop on Kayt’s first day in Bangalore

A little over two months ago, I made the choice to jump on a plane that landed me here in Bangalore. I remember starting that day by spending my morning at one of my favorite places in Bangkok, Thailand, Lumphini Park, a beautiful little oasis of nature in the middle of the city. I had just said goodbye to my husband, who was traveling back home to Seattle. I was full of emotions; I missed him the moment he drove off, but at the same time, I began to fill with excitement for the journey I was about to embark on. I still recall that day very clearly, those last few moments in Thailand, sitting in my seat on the airplane, going through the Indian customs where I experienced my first interaction with the Indian head wobble (I still get confused by what some of them mean), to meeting Priyanka at the arrivals gate and immediately connecting with the beautiful human that she is, arriving at the hostel and being greeted by Nick and Jody, going up to our rooftop and taking in the beautiful view, to walking the streets at night and literally jumping at the sight of all the near misses in the traffic flow, to finally settling in back at the hostel and falling asleep in my little twin-sized, stiff bed for the first time.

This past weekend mainly consisted of all the teams working tirelessly to produce all the deliverables that are required for the program and are due in just a few days. Many things have happened since that first day I arrived; I now jump way less at those near-missed traffic collisions; I have had many interactions with people I would have never had the chance to interact with had it not been for this program; endless laughs and meals have been shared with the GCIL crew and so much more that I am not even going to try to list out but am happy to have in my memories.

All my fellow GCIL members and I took a chance by signing up for this program and agreeing to move to India for ten weeks. I am proud to be a part of this group; everyone here has added something special to this experience, and I deeply appreciate the support that is shown for one another. It is not an easy feat to spend day in and day out with people you barely know, in a new environment, experiencing a new culture, while trying to work together to come up with solutions to address grand challenges, but this group makes it happen and with much grace.

I know we all had our reasons for coming here, but I think it is safe to say that one reason we all have in common is that we desired the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world. No matter what happens this coming Friday when we present our projects, I know that all these good people I am sharing this adventure with will have made some impact that changed the world for the better in one way or another and even more that they will continue to do so for the rest of their lives.

This whole experience has panned out differently than I expected in many ways, some good, some not so good, but I am happy to say that I am glad I came, even with all the sicknesses I have endured! India may have knocked me down a few times, but I am still thankful for the opportunity to experience such a unique place. This place has changed my life, and I know many of those changes are still likely unknown to me and will continue to unveil themselves over time. I look forward to the days when I can look back on my moments here and recall that one time I lived in Bangalore, India. So here is to the 3 C’s in life: Chance, Choice, and Change. You must make the choice to take the chance if you want anything in life to change.

By Katlyn