I don't know how to tell you this, but there's an Indian family standing outside our door

Greetings from the mountains! ahhh...a breath of fresh air. Erin and I are up in the quaint and touristy town of Kodaikanal. We arrived yesterday and I already feel completely rejuvenated. We took a long and windey 3 hour taxi ride up here and are currently staying in the Greenlands hostel for $3 per night. It is quite simple yet so comfortable. We don't have to worry about mosquitoes or drenching our clothes in sweat at least. I did feel a rat/mouse crawl over me last night, though. We feel like we are back in Boone with a bit of a twist to it. We are enjoying some good Tibetan food as well at the Royal Tibet Restaurant. There are great shops that I have found lots of nice stuff to acquire unfortunately and even a health food store :) I got some spirulina tablets (to keep my immune system up) as well as some mint chocolates and fresh peanut butter. I have been sitting for hours sitting outside of our room overlooking the magnificent mountains in front of me. It is so lovely.

Getting back to reality and to the reason why we have come to India in the first place is our internship. We arrived at CIRHEP on the 25th of January and we are loving it and feeling frustrated by it all at the same time. We were given such an amazing opportunity to come to India and help the people and environment, and we are having a horrible time trying to get things moving along. We have forced them to have meetings and make schedules for us and they have but that seems to not have mattered. A schedule means nothing to them and they assume we will just get our work done on our own, I suppose. We are trying to stay focused and positive all at the same time but things keep happening that bring us back down and feel a bit lost in how to get on track here. We love our accommodations atleast! We stay in a humble little hut that provides with all we need: a bed, fan, and a roof over our head. Our showers consist of a nice cold bucket bath which happened to be quite easy to get used to actually.

What I am hoping to do as far as tasks are concerned while here is work with both the nature school and women's empowerment groups. I am going to conduct a case study on both of them and research the impacts that these groups have had in two different villages. I am excited to learn more about the women's groups and see how receiving micro-credit has worked for them. On top of doing the studies and research, I will be starting up a recyling center at both CIRHEP and the village that we are right next to. It sounds like a simple task but considering they don't even think anything about where they throw their trash, it is going to be a frustrating task that I will have to approach in a totally different manner. Their current method is to burn it all (including plastic bottles). CIRHEP also helps run an organic shop in the town of Nilakottai and it seems as though it needs some desperate help. Since I've worked in a health food store since I was 17, I hope I can bring some insight or ideas to the place.

We have done some amazing things since being here. We have taken many hikes up the mountains that surround us and swam in beautiful mountain waterfalls. We have attended women's self-help groups, taken organic farm tours, watched nature school games, gone to numerous temples, and have met amazing people. I have already learned so much about myself and the patience I must have being immersed in a culture so different. My experience thus far has been a roller-coaster but I never think of that in a bad way. I have had really hard days and absolutely amazing days where I think nothing could make me happier. I am taking everyday for what it is and Erin is definitely helping me stay positive. I will write more about the things and people I have experienced next time and I promise to write more often than I have. I think I have not written in so long because I did not know how to direct my thoughts and emotions at the time. I have felt a bit lost at times but everything will come together. For now, I will go enjoy the sunset from 7,000 feet above it all. Love to you all.