Summer of 2015 was a summer I will never forget. This summer I went back to India, the place I was born. The last time I went back to India was 3 years ago in 2012. I was really missing the sweet smell of mangos and the roasting of peanuts in the street. This trip was totally different than a trip I would usually take. My parents let Jeffin and I go earlier than them. They were coming to India 10 days after we got there. Things got a little crazy on the way and while we were there because we were going with 2 of my other friends, Jemy and Jeril. Fasten your seat belts. This is going to be a bumpy ride, LITERALLY!

July 14th, 2015:
This felt like such an important trip to me. The luggage was packed and ready to go. We had to leave the house at 4:30pm. My handbag was not packed though. I rushed in the shower because I know I wouldn’t be able to shower for the next 28 hours. I’m going to have to carry around this HUGE Michael Kors bag around with a whole lot of stuff in in. 4:30 and it’s time to leave. We have a quick word of prayer and leave. Jemy and Jeril were going to meet us at the airport. We got through airport security and were waiting to board. I started texting my best friend that I was going to miss him so much and that I would FaceTime him as much as I can. “Please get your boarding passes ready for boarding.” As soon as the lady said that, I grabbed my bag and rushed to get in line. We had one more screening of bags before we got on the plane and that’s when they saw my favorite perfume in my bag. It was over the limit. I had to throw it away and I really didn’t want to. We got pulled over to search for anymore liquids. After we got cleared, we ran into the plane and took our seats. I sent my last little goodbyes before takeoff. “Please fasten your seatbelts for takeoff” Oh my God, its happening! I grab onto my little wooden cross and pray for a safe takeoff.

13 hours later, we land in Doha, Qatar. This airport was probably the most beautiful airport I've ever seen. There was free Wi-Fi so I took advantage of it. We all sat on our phone and caught up on social media because we were gone for 13 hours. Jemy, Jeril, and I walked around Doha airport while Jeffin watched our stuff. The lady called for boarding and we go jump in line. Okay next a 5 hour flight, then a 3 hour drive home. MAX 10 HOURS UNTIL I GET HOME! We get on a much smaller plane but this time, I got the window seat. I put a movie on the little TV and laugh my butt off. This is so exciting! I'M COMING HOME!

July 16th, 2015:
4:30am and the plane wheels touch the motherland! I call my mom from the airport letting her know that we landed safely. Jeffin runs and gets all the paperwork before the crowd rushes in. I grab my passport and run to immigration. They stamp me into India. "Jemy, Jeril watch the carry on, Jeffin and I will go grab the luggage." I look outside into the dark and spot my grandparents. When the Indian air hit my face, I felt like I had just opened an oven. The 98 degree heat just almost hit me dead. Jemy and Jeril see their uncle and they go with them. I won't see Jemy and Jeril until our parents come so I hug them goodbye. Okay next, a 3 hour car drive. My uncle packs up the car and we all hop in. 7:20am and the sun starts to rise. I open the window and take a full sniff. The sweet smell of mangoes and apples from the street fruit stores and the fresh roasting peanuts fill the air. WOW! India is better than I remember! But I better take a nap. I lay down in the car. As soon as my head hits the seat, a huge bump! Yea, it's going to be a little hard to nap right now. I guess I'll just play a game then.

I jump out of the car as soon as we get to my great-grandmothers house. That sweet little 95 year old girl yells at me for some kisses! I was missing her a lot! I went home which was right next to her house and went to sleep all day. 3:30am which was 6:00pm the day before in America, I was up. I was texting and waiting for everyone to wake up. Everyone wakes up and I'm ready to go to my mom’s house. We get there and were sleeping there for the night. After prayer, I finish my dinner as soon as possible and jump on FaceTime with my best friend because he stayed up to talk to me. HOURS AND HOURS on FaceTime. I was missing America but also was having way too much fun in India. The rest of the trip without my parents were kind of boring but that’s when they came!

July 27th, 2015: 
"OMG, JEFFIN WAKE UP! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! JEFFINN HAPPYY BIRTHDAY!!" As soon as I heard my mom yelling, I ran and hugged her! We all sang happy birthday to Jeffin. My cousin and his wife came and said " Come on, I'll take you guys out today! My treat!" We jump in the car and go to a movie and then to eat lunch! It was such a fun day. We pulled up to the house and there was a car there that wasn’t ours. I run inside wondering who it could be and Jemy and Jeril are standing in the doorway waiting for me! Oh yea! We are going to Kodaikanal tomorrow with them! I give them big tight hugs. My grandfather runs into town to buy a cake for Jeffin. My dad’s best friend walks in the door as soon as we start to sing happy birthday. “Happy Birthday Jeffin! I know all of you are planning to go tomorrow. It is a 10 hour drive and you are going in cars? As a special birthday present for Jeffin, I will let you guys rent my bus for tomorrow!” OMG 40 seat passenger bus for us 14 people? Omg this is going to be so much fun! There is TV and free Wi-Fi in that bus! After singing happy birthday and eating dinner, we all go to sleep at 8:00pm. After all we are leaving at 4:30am.

July 28th, 2015:
8:00am and we still haven’t ate anything. We’ve been on the road for about 4 hours. We stop at this restaurant to eat breakfast. We all sit down and start eating our bread and eggs. While eating, through the door, a monkey comes in, jumps on the table, and snatches our bread and runs off. I scream at the top of my lungs. Jemy, Jeril and all the parents start laughing so hard. We come outside after eating and there another monkey on top of our bus. “Don’t open the door! It will jump in. This place is filled with monkeys because it’s a forest area.” says our tour guide. We throw another piece of bread far from the bus and it gets off to eat it. We all run in the bus and close all the windows. I never thought I would actually have to run from a monkey. 10 hours later, we finally reach the famous Kodaikanal man-made lake. We go boating and then go for a 7-D movie! It was REALLY cool! I really was not expecting it to so cold but I had a blanket. We visit the suicide point or now called the Green Valley View. Many people have committed suicide there and have been killed there but it was still so cool to see. Now they have a big fence so that you cannot go down there. We saw so many more sights. We finally get to the condo we were renting. Finally let’s go to sleep. We eat dinner and then straight to sleep.

July 28th, 2015:
Sadly we had to go home today. We just ate breakfast and a long ride back. Since we our condo was on top of a mountain, we had to come down. Most people would drive carefully down the steep road, but this wasn’t America. Not much driving rules. My dad’s friend RACED down the hill, maybe 80MPH! I actually thought we were going to die. But we got home, thankfully in one piece. At my mom’s they had dinner ready for us. It was time for another FaceTime. I had a nice conversation with him. I was so tired and just dozed off.

August 2nd – 3rd, 2015:
Jemy and Jeril were going back to their house but that’s when I told them that I wanted to come along. No reason just wasn’t ready for them to leave yet. We go to their house. They show me this stream near their house, fresh and clean water. We haven’t had our deep personal talk in a while so we sat in the stream and let our feelings out. The stream took our problems away. We talked about everything from what happened so far in India to what was going on in America. They had no Wi-Fi so they weren’t really caught up. We spent the night there but honestly, I didn’t get any sleep because I was up with them crying, laughing, and eating. We had a really fun day but they were going back to America tomorrow.

August 23rd, 2015:
We have been building a new house in India for the past year. Today we were going to pray and enter the house for the first time. Everyone has their own room and it’s just beautiful. But we’re going back to America tomorrow. We have our house warming party. All day people come and go. I bought a new Indian outfit just for this day and I can’t be happier. All of our family comes to our house and I see people I haven’t seen in forever. The day ends with a word of prayer in our new house. I was so excited to eat dinner in our new house. We open all the presents that we got for our new house. Tomorrow at 10:30pm, we will be on our way back to America. I’m really upset to go and leave family behind, but I have to go to school.

August 24th, 2015:
I don’t think I’ve ever seen everyone in the family cry together. No one had a dry eye. Next 3 years, I won’t see anyone of these people. But it was time to go. 20 hours later, our plane reaches Dulles airport safe and sound. I’m glad to be back but this trip I will never forget. I get home and all my friends are waiting for us. I drop everything to hug my best friends! Man I missed them so much!