There is an notable difference between challenge and adjustment.

Adjustments are things you do to make to make yourself comfortable. Challenges require effort, intelligence, and a conscious determination  to overcome.

My time in India has been filled with both.

Adjustments arise everywhere, at any time: the burdening heat, the vegetarian diet, or the language barrier; the inescapable trash, the zoo outside my home – pigs, cows, and dogs – even the occasional lizard or snake; the public defecation I see every morning, the role of women in society, or the sound of traffic; the tiny bugs that crawl up my thigh in the middle of the night, the daily power outages, or the smells: chai, rain, and urine; the stares, no alcohol, or the palpable fear people have toward me before I speak; the sickening poverty, the constant impulse to give rather than teach, or the lack of privacy; the intermittent lack of bathing water, the constant chaos of yelling children, or dealing with the ordinary ‘argumentative Indian’; running a business – being responsible for people’s livelihoods, or attempting to create a Western office environment in a third-world village; the Internet or printer not working – often both, or buying breakfast every morning without any words; taking care of two younger siblings, practicing a new religion, or the day starting at sunrise and ending at sunset. They’re all adjustments.

My “comfort zone” shifts along with every adjustment I make. My reality is such that, if I do not accept these adjustments as comfortable, I will live in constant disarray – perhaps even fear. When thrown into wildly different situations, humans adjust. It’s part of our nature, and it’s precisely what I am doing.

The word ‘normal’ is no longer restrained by the boundaries of my life in America. I have adjusted from what once seemed crazy, to what now are habitual, conventional aspects of daily life. As I adjust more and more every day, I have begun to adore and appreciate my new home. There are subtle nuances in every adjustment that make this whole thing worthwhile – they come with the realization that I don’t need my old comforts to enjoy life.

Challenges are completely different – they aren’t like the bugs that crawl up my thigh every night that I can squish and kill with my fingers. Challenges take time to overcome: patience and practice.

The biggest challenge for me, so far, has been adventure. This may sound odd, because I signed up for this trip and I love adventure. While certainly true, there is a distinction between enjoying adventure and constantly living in one.

There’s a contrast: waking up at home and looking forward to an afternoon adventure, or waking up every day completely immersed in it. I think this is a commonality among all Minerva Fellows.

Adventure, for me, is an inescapable modality; it isn’t something I can choose, but instead follows in my footsteps, pushing me keep me inching forward. And no, I am not referring to “adventure” in the sense of thrill, i.e. skydiving bungie jumping.

I am talking about the unknown. I am talking about living, breathing, and accepting a faceless outcome that remains anonymous until another emerges.

“Just go with the flow” – this is advice I often receive. While it has merit indeed, the application isn’t always transparent. I’m not talking about a 4 hour social gathering at a friend’s house. Sure, you can “go with the flow” and enjoy the party. But, thus far, time means nothing. I am living via the flow, but I don’t have any other option.

I’d like to boast that I’m mastering the art, that I’ve met new people, gotten lost, pushed the limits of danger, unstrapped my seatbelt and enjoyed the ride. I’ve done it, I have. But, I must be honest – I often find myself struggling to stay afloat in this river of endless exhilaration, spontaneity, and daunting excitement. There’s no simple adjustment; it is challenging.

My experience here is a nine month adventure, constructed by multiple unknowns per day. My adventures have undoubtedly been my most rewarding experiences: freeing and inspiring. With that said, they have been the most challenging: difficult to overcome, to accept as reality, and to adjust.