Communication team member
AIESEC Malta
India is incredible. Living there and exploring it this summer was one of the best decisions I have ever taken. It was made possible by the largest student-run organisation in the world: AIESEC.
It was always a dream of mine to visit India, and so I grabbed the opportunity to go with my friends Rachel Damato and Jacob Piccinino.
It was an extraordinary journey and I would not change anything. India is an explosion of diversity and culture.
From arrival in India, the senses jostle and revive themselves; be it the smell and taste of the spicy food, the outburst of traffic and horns, the commotion in the bazaars or the texture of saris.
We lived in Pune for the first six weeks, where we did voluntary work at the NGO Bal Kalyan, helping needy children. Our day-to-day jobs included helping out with teaching in the classrooms and playing with the children during breaks.
Even though these children were not as fortunate as others they still went home with enormous smiles on their faces; that is what used to make my day and still does.
Apart from working, we did our fair share of travel at the weekends. We drove to Goa, which is one of the most beautiful places I have visited by far. The beaches are endless and the atmosphere is serene.
This is in sharp contrast to Mumbai, which is hectic, dense and over-polluted, although we did see some temples and the Gateway of India while there.
During our last week in India we travelled north on a 22-hour train from Mumbai to Delhi. Then we took the Golden Triangle route which links Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, visiting Udaipur, Pushkar and Ajmer along the way.
Delhi is a modern metropolitan city. However, it does have a rich history and we saw the Red Fort and Swaminarayan Akshardham. On arrival in Agra the first thing we did was visit the spectacular Taj Mahal.
Jaipur is known as the ‘Pink City’ and the architecture really stands out. Here we visited the Amber Fort and the magnificent Jaipur Lake Palace. One of the best experiences was riding an elephant and a camel.
India is a cultural cocktail that will leave you star-struck. The people seem to live in profound tranquility. Spice markets, bazaars, animals, forts and peaceful temples dominated each city we visited.
Life is too short and I’m glad I took this opportunity. Rachel and Jacob were great travelling companions and we made other friends through AIESEC.
I used my mind as a camera and tried to capture every moment. Through this exchange, all my dreams came true.
All these opportunities were made possible thanks to AIESEC Malta. If you are a student at tertiary level and would like to experience such exchanges, please visit www.aiesecmalta.org or e-mail info.malta@aiesec.net.