Hello everyone,
With about two weeks to go before I – or rather, we – leave, and thus the end of my voluntary service, I am now writing my final blog post. The last few months, which I will now try to summarise briefly, have been eventful and have really rounded off my 10 months here beautifully, so that now, as I prepare to say goodbye, I am truly ready to return to Germany.
After spending some time on my own at Capron Hall in February/March, as Harriet was away visiting family, I realised that this presented a whole new challenge, and despite a few advantages one might spot, I was very glad when she was back and appreciated even more that we are getting through this time here together. When I was on my own, I did feel that the school staff paid me a bit more attention and the children sought more contact too (though mostly just to ask why I was suddenly walking across the campus on my own…) But being able to share all my feelings, thoughts and moments with a fellow volunteer is a huge relief for me, and I’m so grateful for the friendship that has developed.
In mid-March, Simon and my sister came to visit. Together we went on a three-week trip through Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including visits to the project sites. It was a truly special moment to show my sister the place I’d only ever described over the phone and to introduce her to the people I’ve spent the last six months with. It gave me a real boost of motivation to realise just how at home I already feel in India, how much I can show and explain, and to share not only my enthusiasm but also my inner conflicts and difficult circumstances.
May was the summer holidays, another opportunity to explore the country a bit – Harriet, Simon and I had a fantastic trip through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Goa.
The last few months have been very much about travelling; to round things off, the rest of Simon’s and my family made their way to India and we had the chance to show them a bit of our placement and the country too. I’m very grateful that, despite – as you might gather – few tasks and expectations from our placement, we were able to use so much of our time for travelling. Whilst I might have wished for a more defined role at Capron Hall and in the girls’ daily lives, we were instead able to gain a wonderful insight into Indian culture, the country and other placement sites such as the Elwin Centre. Every voluntary placement is different, and mine was eventful in its own way, full of lovely encounters, moments and new experiences!
I hope I’ve been able to give you a fairly realistic insight into my time here, and I’m glad you’ve been following my blog a bit.
That’s all from me.
Take care.
This text was automatically translated using an AI-powered translation system.
