June 30, 2025
The sky looks different up here. I noticed it the moment I arrived. It is wider, deeper, and quieter than any sky I have ever seen. At home in the suburbs, the sky feels like something you only glance at every once in a pretty sunset. But here in the Himalayas, it is constant and impossible to ignore.
My name is Sarayu Varanasi. I am a neuroscience major with minors in history and chemistry, and right now I am in the Western Himalayan foothills, in Mussoorie, India, learning about healthcare in this region. Yes, I am Indian, and yes, I still chose this program, and here is why. I grew up visiting South India every year, always going back to the same cities, the same homes, and the same familiar rhythms of family life. It was comforting and constant, and for a long time, it was all I really knew. The South was my version of India.
Coming to Mussoorie for the Himalayan Health program felt like stepping into a completely different world. It was not the version of India I was used to, but it is one I have been excited to learn from. Even though I can understand Hindi and speak it when I need to, I still felt a little out of place at first, just like many of the students who are not from India. The way people moved, spoke, and connected felt different. I did not know anyone when I got here. I did not know what the days would feel like or how I would handle the cold, the altitude, or just how quiet everything can be. It was a little intimidating to not have everything figured out ahead of time. But I came here because I really care about what I study, and I wanted to see what it looks like in real life, outside the classroom.
Little by little, that unfamiliar feeling has started to fade. Every day here has taught me something new. I have started to pick up on patterns in the fog that rolls in each morning. When it rains overnight, the valley is clear by the next day. Rain seems to be the only thing that settles it. Now I can tell when it is coming, just from the way the air feels.
These small observations of weather, movement, and human connection have started to shift the way I think. I still do not know what this experience will mean in the long run. I am just at the beginning. But already, my understanding of health is changing. It is no longer only about treatment plans or medical terms. It is about how people live, how they support one another, and how place and culture influence everything. It is about learning to notice what is often overlooked. And the sky is always there. Above me and all around. It changes constantly. It reminds me that not everything has to be figured out right away. Some things just take time.
