Gannon University's India ABST: What Day is it Now???

Greeted with beautiful artwork of sand at the nursing college.

We apologize for the delay in posting! The days have been long and accessing the blog has been limited.
Yesterday was certainly one for the books as is everyday in India! We began with breakfast at the nursing college which was filling as always. They sure know how to feed you here in India, and many of us have been surprised by the presence of Nutella at the breakfast table. The Sisters then showed us around pointing out areas in need of improvement. One location we visited was the roof top where the views were amazing and so was our reenactment of the "My heart will go on" scene from titanic. As we walked the halls, many students stopped to talk with us. Also being a medical field student, I was able to relate in an incredibly heart warming way. We find so many trivial trials in our lives as students that are incomparable to the trials these women face. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities that have blessed my life.
After the tour we made our way to Madurai for a stop on our 8 hour journey to St. Antony's in Nagercoil. Madurai gave us an opportunity to visit the Meenakshi temple. If you want to see color, culture, and creativity give yourself a chance to visit a temple in India. Our tour guide was incredible, but when I found myself distracted by the statues or unsure of an explanation Ashley was right there to explain everything. We are incredibly blessed to have such amazing leaders.
Following the temple we went shopping. If anyone knows anything about me you most likely know shopping is not my strong suit. Now we faced shopping with bartering and foreign currency. Luckily, Mike, a good friend and native of Tamil Nadu, helped each of us along the way. I can't stress enough how blessed we are to have those who are traveling with us.
Lunch was at a restaurant in a hotel we are staying at later on. The food was excellent and despite my strong dislike for spicy food I have proudly set my mouth on fire several times for the simple joy of trying something new. Speaking of new, we have eaten more types of bananas than we thought existed. With our new knowledge stored, shopping bags packed, and bellies full we piled in our bus to finish the last 5 hours of our trip. 5 hours in a hot, cramped bus may seem as though it would last forever, but it was the fastest 5 hours of my life. We spent our time sharing deep conversations that opened us to stronger relationships. If I wasn't intently listening to others, I was awe struck by the scenery. The mountains reminded me of home and I think many could agree.
Arriving at St. Antony's was unlike any welcoming in America. Children have a way of being so pure and innocent. A simple smile is enough to fill the language barrier. The Sisters of course had a wonderful dinner that once again filled us until we could eat no more. Sitting here and reflecting it is amazing to see how far we've come. I had a discussion with another group member about how we will never see those individuals again. However, I now realize that it's hard to say you won't come back when a place makes a home in your heart.
~Caitlin