Homeward Bound

And that’s it. My first term at the Mahindra UWC of India. In the wise words of someone I’ve been seeing a little too much of recently: “It’s been emotional”. 

I am currently sitting outside boarding gate A10 in Singapore Airport, waiting for my final flight to Melbourne. Despite the seven hour bus trip from MUWCI to Mumbai, in another ten hours I’ll be home. These last few weeks have been a miscellany of Christmas parties, Mexican anthropology talks, Love Actually  countdowns (complete with banana cake, tea, and TimTams), a definitive end to my IB career, and embarrassing ukulele songs.   

Everything seems to have flown by so quickly. It seems so foreign now that (only?) four months ago I was in the same airport, with the same luggage (maybe a little more) with absolutely no clue what I was in for. I don’t know whether I’ve changed; my mind is certainly filled with more pointless Norwegian trivia (I can tell you all about the Viking warrior chief, Harald Pretty-Hair), sunsets, Thai meditation songs, knowledge about Indian territorial disputes, banana facts, and American gun law statistics (thanks, Jesse); it wasn’t filled, it seems, with enough mathematical ‘logic’ (pfftt), as my recent maths test would show (sorry, Dad) but there is limited space for such matters. 

Despite the occasional overwhelmingness of campus life, MUWCI is starting to become a second home. I have incredible roommates, fabulous housemates, amazing wadamates and am part of an increasingly beautiful community. My corner, though surrounded by photos of home, has not become the pod of escapism I was expecting, but a candle-lit link between late night discussions, academic madness and mindless ukulele strumming.

I don’t need anywhere to escape each night – I think that’s significant.

Off to Singapore with Masako (Japan)

While I’m already busy anticipating next year’s adventures, I am eager to return home. I’ve missed my parents, sister, dog, friends,  the sound of the sea, easy access to vegemite, ginger beer and Australian accents. I am looking forward to heat that lacks 100% humidity. I am excited to have a brief break from rice and paratha. Yet MUWCI will still be with me, perhaps in the form of exciting new travel plans or (sadly yet realistically) in the astounding amount of economics homework (yes, Cary, I know I brought it on myself).

So, Merry Christmas; Happy Hanukkah; Joyful Kwanzaa; Insightful Winter Solstice.  

“It’s been emotional”

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