Before I departed from India, my friend Laura sat me down and explained the roller coaster of emotions that are often felt by someone living abroad. It goes something like this:

You arrive - up - only to miss your home - down - but then begin feeling more adjusted and comfortable in the country - up - until you begin to feel as though you'll never leave - down - and recover once you realize how little time you have left - up - and how much you value your new life and friends - up - and how much you'll miss them when you leave - up - then you depart for home - down.

With only 2.5 months left (1.5 at the Wildlife Institute and 1 at my yoga retreat), I'm beginning to feel the sands of time slip from my fingers. I now have a set of close friends with whom I can laugh and feel completely comfortable. My boyfriend, Sahas, and I connect better than I ever expected possible from two people with entirely different cultural and geographic backgrounds. I can move around the Wildlife Institute and Dehradun with relative ease, and can even get by with basic Hindi when forced. I've learned to appreciate the little things that used to frustrate me - the slow pace of life, the lack of privacy, the ever-present layer of dust and smog, the jarring traffic - and now truly feel as though India is my second home.

Here are a few photos of the friends I've bonded so well with over the past few months. For me, more than anything else, it is my friends who shape my experience in a new place. I am eternally grateful for the joy and support that they offer so selflessly to me every day.

Mos, Abi, Sahas, Murali, me and Sumithra drinking coffee at Barista, our popular hangout spot in Dehradun.


Sumithra, Mos, Pranav, Deep, me and Rekha celebrating Pranav's birthday at Yog-ganga (Pranav's parent's retreat center) where I will study yoga in November.


Raul, Sahas, Asif and Murali (Msc. students at WII).


Merwyn and Suresh (researchers studying junglefowl and sea turtles at WII).


Ramesh, my friend, mentor and collaborator on the pheasant work.


Sahas and I at dinner in Dehradun.