In 2016, I had the unique experience of traveling to India alongside my brother for the first time. It was just me and my brother went to our homeland to gain exposure to the culture and traditions that our parents grew up with. Though I was born and raised in America, my cultural roots are still closely tied to the Indian culture. I felt so many emotions while going through this journey, but here are just three I faced.

1. Excited

Since I usually go with my parents to India, I really do not get the opportunity to be independent and responsible for myself. We all can become a little lazy when our parents are there for me. However, this time that was not the case anymore. I got the opportunity to be the liable one since my younger brother was also traveling with me.

2. Slightly Anxious

My brother always gets sick on the plane. Usually my mom is the one who takes care of him. Yet, this time it was me. One hour before our flight had landed, my brother felt nauseous. I started to panic and did not know what to do. I calmly told myself that I will find a solution to this. I held my brother’s small hand and quickly went to the nearest bathroom. After he had came out of the bathroom, I told him that do not worry and he hugs me so tightly that I started crying. No matter how annoying my brother can be, I still will always love him.

3. Attracted

I have been to India many times as a child, but going with all your cousins can be a different experience. My cousins and I went to historical places like the golden temple in Amritsar, Punjab. The Golden Temple was a breathtaking place. This place is known as India’s shining star. At the golden temple the, e is a poem called “Loss” carved into stone. The poem has three words, but the poet scratched it out. The poet scratched out the three words from “Loss” because you can’t read loss, only feel it.

Overall, I tried not to fear the challenge of going alone. It was a different type of experience that I thoroughly enjoyed and never will forget in my life.