Getting there is half the fun

Note: This entry was written on VERY VERY little sleep and after many hours of traveling. It is unedited and in its original form. For that, I am sorry. Enjoy. In case you are interested, the entire trip took 44 hours and 48 minutes.

Location: Indira Ghandi International Airport, Delhi, India

Time Written: 2:15 am Saturday May 29, 2009 (local time), 4:45pm Friday May 28 (Boston time)

I’m new to blogging (specifically, I’m currently writing my first sentence as a blogger). Please keep this in mind as well as my severe jetlag, sleepiness, and remaining travel (see itinerary), don’t expect miracles with this post. Before I talk about my travels to India (thus far) I’ll give you a bit of info about myself and my reasons to write this blog.

Who: My name is Holly. I just finished up my first year at Tufts Med. It was certainly an interesting year – and perhaps if this blog survives past the summer I’ll discuss it further. In addition to getting my MD, I am enrolled in a combined degree program in public health. When I graduate in 2012 I will have both an MD and MPH. My current trip to India is fulfilling a field experience requirement of my MPH degree.

What: This is a blog about my 7 week summer trip to Vellore, India. Vellore is home to the Christian Medical College (CMC) and its hospital (http://www.cmch-vellore.edu/t_main.asp). CMC is one of the top hospitals and medical schools in India.

Where: Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. Southern India about 150 km southwest of Chennai (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/India_population_density_map_en.svg).

When: Now through mid July-ish (currently no return flight!)

Why: I am choosing to write this blog for a few reasons. First, to let people in the states know how I’m doing. Second, to document my trip so I can look back on the trip with specific fond memories.

Okay – that’s pretty much enough details to get you pseudo-oriented. Now let’s talk about what’s happening right now. I have been traveling for 32 hours and 52 minutes. This isn’t a joke – I started my timer when I got on the train in Boston. I am currently sitting in the Indira Ghandi International airport (Delhi). I’d take a picture of the newly powerwashed sign – but once you enter the building, you can’t leave. I’d test that theory, but there are armed guards at the entrance. My travelling companions are fellow MPHers Mike and Alicia. Since arriving, we have rotated between the following activities. Sleeping, eating, meeting young Indians and asking them about cool things to do in India (currently topping the list: houseboat in Kerala, beaches of Goa, lots and lots of shopping, Taj Mahal…) and then sleeping again.

Armed Guards at the Indira Ghandi International Airport in Delhi

I must admit, I expected to walk of the plane into 120 degree heat with 98% humidity. Surprisingly, it’s fairly comfortable temperature and the humidity isn’t so bad. Then again, it’s evening and we are in an air-conditioned building. I am certainly waiting for the endless summer of sweating to begin when we leave the airport in Chennai.

The travel thus far has been pretty painless. On both of our flights we managed to have pretty ideal seating (exit row – no chairs in front of us – thus plenty of room to stretch out). There was a slight logistical snafu in Frankfurt involving getting new boarding passes for approximately 250 passengers 30 minutes before the flight was supposed to board (think slow lines, lots of miscommunication due to a 3 way language barrier, and no time for restroom breaks between flights). But everything worked out.

Recap: lots of traveling, still not there, so far so good. Once I am rested, I will post more details about what I will be doing this summer at CMC, why public health is pretty awesome, and what I hope to get out of this summer.

Travel Itinerary from Boston to Vellore