Broncos Ahoy!

group shot at the Arabian Sea
Posted by Anna Ryan on


Written By Anna Ryan

Program: Sustainability in India


As if the beautiful land of India wasn’t adventurous enough, we explored two bodies of water on Friday. Houseboating in the backwaters of Alappuzha and experiencing the grandeur of the Arabian Sea was such an amazing addition to the program.
 

After arriving in Alappuzha, I followed the lead of our fearless guides from Rajagiri, and boarded the beautiful houseboat that awaited us:
 


Our amazing and energetic guides from Rajagiri!

After a thorough exploration of the hotel-like houseboat, I enjoyed games with some of my peers while the boat started down the river:
 
UNO and Cards with Friends

By this time in the trip, all 28 of us have gotten to know each other quite well.  It is amazing how 10 days can turn nearly perfect strangers into the best of friends!
After enjoying our new home for the day for a while, we were called in to another area of the boat where an incredible surprise awaited all of us!


Our faculty leaders, Patti Criswell, Jennifer Harrison, and Timothy Palmer, and our Rajagiri guides had created an elaborately decorated room for the purpose of celebrating the graduating students on the trip. I was amazed at the creativity and thoughtfulness they had invested into making the graduation event truly memorable and special for not only the graduates, but all of us!
 


Tessa Celebrating her Graduation from the Engineering College

After some speeches were made, tears were shed, and tassels switched, we transitioned into lunch, which was a flavorful feast prepared for us by the houseboat staff. We enjoyed sharing a meal together:

Delicious fish lunch

After the meal, we all enjoyed some good fun together on the river houseboat. Between soaking in the sunshine, napping in the breeze, enjoying the beautiful views from the window, or having fun celebrating the graduates, I enjoyed every minute of the journey!
 


Soaking the sun in on the deck
 
Enjoying the calming view
 
Captain Pooja at the Wheel!
 
It only took about 98 tries to get every person captured in this photo!

After an incredible day, we ended on what may have been my very favorite event of the program thus far: a visit to the Arabia Sea! We arrived just in time to watch the sun finish setting, and marveled over the fiery sky colors reflecting on the vast sea:
 
No words needed for the Arabian Sea

 
Boy’s Picture!
 
And a Good Time was Had by All
Overall, this day was one I will never forget! Experiencing the new sights, sounds, and smells of traveling through a river certainly kept my mind spinning for days! When I think back to seeing the Arabian Sea for the first time, my heart still races. Most importantly, experiencing these watery adventures as a group brought us closer together and was a wonderful opportunity to unite us for the second portion of our India Study Abroad program. I am thankful that we had the opportunity to take a day like this one to have time to reflect on the more serious days of studying the issues of Social Justice and Sustainability in India.

Categories: India, Sustainability, Bonding, New sights, Cultural Experiences