Hathiyom aura mora (Elephants and Peacocks)!

My name is Meena Mana.  I will be a sophomore studying Computer Science in the College of Engineering in fall 2013. The Global India trip in summer 2013 will be my very first study abroad experience. The first week of the trip will be touring the Golden Triangle (Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur), then we’ll study in Bangalore for four weeks, and finally we’ll visit Kerala (the southern part of India) during the last week.

To get ready to go abroad, I made a list about a month ago on what to buy and pack. I finished shopping about a week ago and then started getting everything together. If I could do it over, I would start packing earlier, because I ended up actually packing everything into my suitcases today, the day before I leave. 

This trip will be unique for me because I was born in India. My family and I moved here when I was very young, and we have been back to visit a few times. However, we’ve never visited the Golden Triangle or Kerala; we toured Bangalore for a few days when we visited India in 2007.

I am excited and nervous about the trip! I am looking forward to meeting new people and making lasting friendships, visiting historical and gorgeous places, and studying in a new environment. My flight is tomorrow morning from XNA to Chicago, and then after meeting my whole group, we’ll fly together from Chicago to Delhi.

I’d like to thank the Study Abroad office, specifically Meredith McKee, and the engineering faculty who will be traveling with us, Bryan Hill and Eric Specking, for helping organize this trip. 

Thank you!

Meena Mana