...Already he was a very different
hobbit from the one that had run out without a pocket-handkerchief from Bag-End
long ago. He had not had a pocket-handkerchief for ages.
Life changes you. Experiences shape and mold a human being.
Other cultures make one a different person.
When I first returned to America I was already a different
person from the one that left two years earlier. Living in India had taught me about
being more assertive, less judgmental, to think outside of my “culture box,” and
be absolutely stunned by the sheer multitude of languages, dialects, cultures,
and sub-cultures on this globe.
After I returned to India for round two, I discovered that I
was also a different person from the one which had previously resided within
its lands. I now felt comfortable in my own skin, even though that skin is
still white and attracts stares and second looks. But I have a functioning
knowledge of language and how life works within India’s culture, and I don’t
miss Dr. Pepper, Doritos and Chick-fil-a with the severity of my first two years.
Instead, I crave dal and paranthas and paneer rolls on a regular basis! I
cringe when I see shoes being worn around the house, and ensure that I check mine
at the door!
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