Holi, Cows, and Holy Cows

I just finished my exchange year in Indore, India and I am already missing everything about my life in my second home! I was on a somewhat different program called National Security Language Initiative for Youth, so while I was included in all the typical AFS events and trips, my main focus was learning Hindi at my host school. I loved learning Hindi and spending time with the other exchange students at my school. As a gap year student, I was able to take more cultural classes (classical dance, art, etc.) after my Hindi class each day. I learned so much about the Indian culture so quickly! I loved when I started to understand Hindi--it gave me a much deeper understanding of the culture and allowed me to connect with people I would not have been able to communicate with before due to the language barrier. NSLIY is a great program for anyone who loves language-learning and wants to really get to know a different culture up close. It is for a truly passionate language lover, though. I spent 3 hours a day in Hindi class which was fun for me, but could be too much for someone looking to take a more diverse range of classes with Indian peers.

I am already looking forward to returning to Indore to visit my host family and friends! And, most importantly, eat my favorite street food, pani puri!