No matter how much I try I cannot disguise the fact that I am a planner. I attempt to plan every aspect of my life and often find that I spend too much time planning and not enough time living. That was one “Ericka-ism” I listed as needing to change as I planned for India. ;) Since being here, I am trying to embrace the “no plan just live” attitude. But the other day I felt compelled to look at a calendar and plan the next few months of my life. It was while doing so that I realized I have two and a half months left in India. Before I get too focused on where I am going and forgetful of where I have been, I will take a few moments to reflect on this awesome experience. We have done a lot in such a short amount of time.

Perhaps the biggest and most meaningful part of completing field abroad is the chance to develop real connections and memories with other social workers from UMB. The time spent traveling and navigating cultural norms forces each person to think more critically about what social work means to them and what areas of study are still needed in order to become professionally competent.

Constructing a social network and support system for ourselves has proven essential in allowing us to see India in a way that might otherwise have been closed off. Field work starts the moment we walk out of our guesthouse because we are constantly working to build relationships, dispel stereotypes about the US, and create meaningful memories with everyone we have contact with. The work specific to our concentrations/specializations all vary and only provide a small window into how we are all progressing as professionals.

As I look back over all of the pictures I can see that there is something truly different about me and it is more than just my hairdos. With time my smile is broader, my shoulders more relaxed, and I am just Ericka. They show me that I want to plan programs and business ventures not every aspect of my life. I am a mother-bear that wants to make sure everyone around me feels special. But the kicker is that the pictures also show me that yoga is working; I have lost a good portion of the gut I had been trying to suck in when I first got here. :)

Happy days from India!