Here Comes The Sun by Callie

I know we chose the name for our expedition for a reason so I wanted to talk about the different ways I’ve experienced Prakash (light) while we’ve been here. I don’t know if that really makes a whole lot of sense, but hopefully it will. When the kids lit up when they finally understood something. It’s so cool because with some of the kids they were confused or didn’t understand for a while, but you could tell how excited they were when they finally got the concept we were teaching. When the kids lit up when they answered a question right or said the right word on a flashcard. When the girls would light up as soon as we got to the Day Boarding School. The dinky flashlights at tiger camp that I used instead of trying to stumble around in the dark and almost run into my bed. Light has been shed on me as well. I’ve learned so much while I’ve been here. I’ve learned that I should have a more optimistic attitude and I’ve learned that complaining gets me nowhere fast. It’s reinforced the leadership skills I’ve learned throughout this year. One of my favorite days in the village school was when we were able to hand out school supplies. Those kids were so happy when they got a box of crayons or colored pencils. They lit up then for sure. This one is gonna be cheesy (I guess it all kind of is). I’m usually the first one asleep so I’m “out like a light” every night. Clever, yeah? All the other YMAD kids and the adult leaders have been lights in my life. I’ve looked to them as examples and as people I can go to with anything I need. Which is awesome. When we wave to little kids on the side of the street, their face is the epitome of joy and light. It makes them so happy that someone would care enough to simply wave to them. Finally, the last thing I want to talk about is the smiles. A smile can spread so much light, and like I said before, I’ve been smiling for literally the past week and a half. And other people have been smiling and all this smiling has brought so much light and joy into my life. When I get back to the United States, I want to spread that light even more. Really quickly, these are the top five things I miss: My family, my friends, my mom’s cooking, my bed, and ice. Loves from India! :)