The real meaning of the India trip

Josh Hamilton

To see India's landscape is spectacular; to connect with their people is unforgettable; to experience their numerous cultures & religions is captivating, and to immerse ourselves in an unfamiliar environment for a month creates memories of a lifetime. These involvements piece together the meaning and the purpose of our trip.

On top of these learnings, I have experienced the true purpose of our isolation in India.

It is to teach us the importance of communication to create and further enhance relationships, it is to show us how privileged our lives really are in New Zealand, it is designed to further connect us with our families and friends we value at home, and it is to teach us to appreciate their influence they have to our happiness and our success.

I have experienced a shift in emotion only a few days ago when I grasped the true importance of loyalty towards my family and friends. I have realised to always make the most of the time I have as a full family and to always be able to rely on their support and love to see the bright side when times are tough. This turn I experienced came from no particular event, but simply from the bond we have created within our group of 22 boys. As we pass the halfway point on the trip we are all cherishing and maximizing our time in India together. Our brotherhood and the trust we put in each other is something that can be best seen in action – to me, this is awesome.    

I have learned to communicate effectively to strengthen relationships with friends and to always be who you are when you are involving yourself with new people. Our work with NGOs, most recently Asha, in Delhi, show to us all the unique personalities of the less fortunate residents that make up multiple large communities in India. It only excites me to know how confident and individual all the kids and Women we have been privileged to meet over the past two and a half weeks are. They are perfect role models for me – be myself, make the most of every opportunity, and to see the bright side to any situation which will make any experience more positive.

My individual learnings, from my rollercoaster of emotions and my unique encounters, will ultimately make me happier and hopefully a better person in the future.

The India trip is much bigger than an Immersion.