Send daughter of Mumbai sex worker to US college!

Hello everyone!! I can’t believe my summer vacation is almost over!!! During the last three months, I have done a lot of exciting and productive things. I attended a silent meditation retreat and a few therapy sessions; spent a lot of time with my mother, sister and Kranti family; and, most importantly, I worked on my academic writing with my mentor in hopes of making next year a little more smooth. I also took driving lessons so that I can get my license in India and then in the USA.

It's been three months now since I returned from the United States, and I noticed something very funny. When I’m living in college, I always feel like a foreigner living abroad. People say sometimes “You can go out of India, but you cannot take India out of you.” This was always very very true for me. Despite all the time I spent in the US, there was not a day when something did not remind me of my home and my people back home.

But for the first time, over summer break, you know what happened??? I felt a little bit American! For the first time I started noticing the things that are so “Indian.” The last three months, my mind was endlessly comparing the differences between India and the US. Of course there are plenty of difficult things like pollution, corruption, or “Indian standard time,” but also there are really amazing things like deep conversations with random strangers on the local metro, being able to ask anyone on the street for help, and dancing in a stranger’s wedding.  

Now that I feel a little bit American, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop all the comparisons in my mind. But one thing is for sure….when I’m in the US, I miss and appreciate India deeply, and when I’m in India, I miss and appreciate the US! I feel quite lucky to feel at “home” in two such different types of places. And, of course…I am constantly aware that it’s only because of people like you that I’m having such an amazing opportunity to have these experiences. Even in my college I see AMERICAN students who are struggling and have to drop out of the college. And it makes me so grateful that despite my background I’m still able to continue studying and learning so much. Thank you for reading...I hope you enjoy my updates and they are not too boring! If you have any feedback (or want to leave me some encouragement :P) please use the links below. 

Thank you so, so, so, SO increidbly much for all of your help and ongoing support. Lots of love from monsoon Mumbai!!

Love,
Danish