Air Conditioning!

The heat is now blaring, and I have sought refuge in one of the very few places in Chittor that has air conditioning: The Internet Cafe'. The heat is starting to get really bad here. I usually walk home at about 4:00 p.m. from Prayas which seems to be a little after the high heat time of the day. The walk home is not too bad for me, it is noticeably hot and uncomfortable and I find myself thinking about cold MN/WI winters to try and refocus my attention on cooler thoughts. By far the most discouraging part of the experience, though, is when I arrive home. I breathe a sigh of relief because the house is much cooler than the heat outside, and walk to the back room where I stay to glance at the temperature reading on my travel clock. Without fail, every day this past week it has been one degree higher than the day before. Yesterday it was 97 degrees in the house. That's right people, 97! But there is no humidity, just dusty desert winds, so it doesn't seem too bad all the time. I know that when I get home everything will seem so cool (maybe even COLD by comparison).

So, yesterday I had a minor freakout about my graduation from MN. There is so much red tape; sometimes it seems impossible that anyone ever leaves that place! I have found that you always have the easiest time by avoiding the bureaucracy as much as possible and finishing everything on time. Unfortunately, I have had a few minor freakouts this semester about various things related to graduation. None of them would have been a big deal if I wasn't a half a world away and completely unable to do anything about it. Leah has been a godsend, I can't imagine how much time she has spent on the phone to Minnesota on my behalf, as my POA, during any of my freakouts. So, anyway, yesterday I noticed that some of my coursework was missing on my progress audit. It turns out that the audit doesn't work correctly for my particular major, so no worries.

I was surprised by my response though. When the thought that I might not be able to graduate this semester was running through my mind, I realized just how much I am ready to be done being an undergraduate. Especially after being here for a year, I don't think I would handle going back to MN to finish classes with all the others; it would try my patience to an extreme level. I would probably find myself screaming about all that we are losing out on by sitting in a classroom when the world and its real issues are swirling by around us.

Anyway, only 2 more days at Prayas and I am done! It's a crazy thought that is just now becoming more real to me. Thinking about leaving here, maybe for good, is very sad. I am however extremely excited to be home and not be here anymore. Woohoo!