Ava Baker ’18
Global Studies & Music Majors
JanPlan in India, Kalimpong, India
January 2016
Being uncomfortable is actually quite comfortable. Contradiction? Maybe on the surface, but when you actually think about that statement, it’s quite true! The only way to extend your comfort zone, is to be uncomfortable. The more your “zone” extends, the less things, actions, or people can make you squirm, blush, or hide. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing because it allows you to open your mind to the blissful wonders of this world.
Take India for example. This is where I spent my sophomore year JanPlan — in the Himalayas of Kalimpong, a small town in the very northeast of the country. 
The scenery was breathtaking, the food was mouthwatering, and I was with a group of twelve Colby students with whom I grew extremely close. 
However, I can honestly say that the majority of the trip was spent with discomfort. Kalimpong does not encounter many white tourists, so the constant stares that we were silently met with did not necessarily put me at ease. The discomfort continued as we embarked on a twenty-one hour train ride to New Delhi. The train ride was highly uncomfortable and personal bubbles were definitely popped. People played music loudly without headphones, they burped, and unfortunately we had the blessing of counting twenty-two people using the railroad tracks as a restroom. At the train stations, little kids off the street begging for money and food swarmed the white tourists. No matter how many times you encounter a six-year-old child holding her baby brother in a swing, touching your arm while begging for food, the overwhelming sadness never seems to leave.
Despite this pile of uneasiness, each discomfort provided a deeper understanding and awareness of the global world. Although I will truthfully never be comfortable with the constant stares, I realized that my level of discomfort is what some people experience every day, and that I was fortunate enough to only now be feeling it! I learned here the power of not only having sympathy for others, but also having empathy for them. In regards to the train ride, despite the lack of glamour, it was worthwhile overall. It revealed more glimpses of the cultural differences between home and India. The poverty we saw on the train as well as at the stations made me think, “I may not be able to help you now, but hopefully one day in the future I can”. As cliché as that may sound, I can’t help but let it be true. It is in these moments that I am extremely thankful for my privilege and happy life. These reminders allow me to see my privilege as a tool to helping others who desperately lack what I may have. With high hopes of using my opportunities in a way where others may gain their own, I realize the profound ability I have to make a difference in the world. Through these uncomfortable times in India, I now feel better equipped to not only be in discomfort but also to embrace it. I am becoming more comfortable with the world and cultures unlike my own, and I find this new comfort to be refreshing, eye opening, and invigorating! There are always benefits to engaging with foreign cultures, especially one that is completely different from your own.
