Now that I’ve been back home for a bit after India, I’ve started to become much more aware of how I’ve changed as a person as a result of my experiences.

India showed me different cultures, different religions, and how different people can live their lives on the other side of the globe. It also showed me that, despite these differences, people in India are some of the most welcoming, kind, and thoughtful individuals that I am so thankful to have gotten to meet. I will forever remember the warmth of our instructors, shopkeepers, and passersby we happened to start conversations with.

Most importantly, I think my experience in India has made me into more of a mindful person. The word “mindful” was a term that was heavily used by my instructor, Akshay, to train us on how to become compassionate wilderness first responders. We were taught to be mindful of how we calmly approach patients, of how to remember to say “thank you” in stressful situations, and how to treat patients in a position that they are most comfortable in.

Outside of the classroom, however, this idea of being mindful is something that can be incorporated even more. One afternoon, I asked Akshay how I can ethically travel without leaving a negative impact to local environment and economy. It was a question that was bothering me as I travelled throughout the mountains of the Himalayas, a fragile environment that has experienced a rapid and detrimental growth in tourism within the past few years. Akshay explained that the first step was to be mindful. By being aware of my presence in foreign communities, and how my presence leaves an impact, I can try my best to make the choices that will limit my impact. It is through being mindful that I can make sure to carry my trash out with me, ensure that I am not a disturbance, and treat those I meet with kindness and respect.

Mindfulness is how we can begin to solve most of the world’s problems. We need to be mindful of our consumption, of our production of waste, and how the way we live our lives leaves a long-term impact. After coming back from the Himalayas, I’ve become much more aware of my usage of single-use plastics and have made more conscious efforts to be more sustainable. If we all are just a little bit more mindful, the world would be a much better place.

I genuinely miss India so much, and I am extremely grateful that I was lucky enough to spend six wonderful weeks here.

Here are pictures from my final days in India:

The Taj Mahal

Sunset from Lal Tibba

Higher Himalayan Range