I have never had to sleep outside because it was my only option. My child has never been outside naked because she didn’t have clothes. I’ve never dug through trash to find food or metal and glass to recycle. I have always had a car, or access to one and if I walked somewhere, it was purely by choice (or force in an academic or social setting, but I still could theoretically opt out).

I understand that there are poor people in the United States, but I have never seen the level of poverty I see in India.

This has left me with a moral conundrum. I want to take pictures of everything I see but at the same time I want to be respectful of these people. I don’t want to engage in poverty porn. I don’t want to dehumanize anyone, for any reason.

I’m in India to study social problems and poverty is one of the areas were discussing. What does this level of poverty mean for a country, their women, their children. Is there anything we can do to help? What can I do to help? I don’t have any solid answers yet, but I know I can be respectful while I’m here.

Well, I made it y’all! After close to twenty hours in the air (with at least an hour of circling over Philadelphia, waiting for ground clearance) I am safely checked in and chilling in INDIA! The flights were great, the staff on each flight was phenomenal and even thought I almost had to check my carry on in Qatar (I didn’t know there was a carry on weight limit but I cried my way out of it #judgeme) I made it unscathed. I will admit getting in at 4:00 am was not how I thought my day would start but I have to be flexible! We have a LONG day ahead and I’ll sleep later. So within three hours of arrival, I met a monkey on a leash. I was outside of the hotel and this guy walked by with a monkey ON A LEASH! If that doesn’t emphasize how far away from home I am, I don’t know what does. The security guy asked if I wanted the meet the monkey. I chickened out and said no, not meet but see. We both laughed and he called the monkey and his owner back over and I just watched him chill out and chop on his leaves. I. WAS. SHOOK! A monkey. On a leash. Living his best life, unbothered by spectators. I hope to achieve this level of zen one day.

As afraid as I was, I’m excited for this entire experience! For security reasons, I can’t disclose my exact location but just know I’m in India, living my BEST life!

This one time in India, I met a monkey on a leash!

So, like most things in my life I just jumped in head first without any real context or introduction. I’m sorry about that. Let’s start over. Hi! I’m Amiee! I’m 33 years old and I live in Tennessee. I have five beautiful children. One is my biological child, three are my step children, and the fifth is my god daughter. I say five because I don’t think biology defines family so, I have five beautiful children 🤷🏽‍♀️.

I am a student at Columbia State Community College. I am a Regional Vice President for the Tennessee region of Phi Theta Kappa international honor society, president of my schools chapter of Sigma Kappa Delta English honor society, Secretary of my schools Student Government Association, and a peer leader at my school.

I’m going to India as part of the TnCIS program. I hope you take a minute to look at the TnCIS website and see the amazing opportunities it affords community college students in Tennessee, ESPECIALLY students of color.

Let’s start with a math lesson, shall we?

Amiee went to New York for four days and three nights. She checked two bags and had a backpack on the way and had three checked bags plus a backpack on the way home. How many bags do you think Amiee will need for India?

I will be in India for THREE WEEKS! How on earth do these people expect for me to survive?

Also, I’m going to be honest. Let me first say this isn’t self deprecating or trying to be overly negative. I’m just being real. I’m a big girl therefore I have big clothes. A pair of my jeans weigh as much as FOUR pairs of my daughters. This means not only do my clothes take up more space, they weigh more as well. One bag with a fifty pound limit is tough for anyone traveling for three weeks but it’s going to be real PIA for me. I have to be strategic. Something else I have to consider is the fact that if my luggage gets lost in the clouds somewhere (which has happened on every flight I’ve been on this year), I usually can’t just drop in to a store and buy other stuff. Between my suitcase, backpack, and carryon I have to make sure I can survive if something goes missing. See why I’m stressed tf out yet? So, what would you guys pack if you were me?

I’ll update my packing list once I make it…

In less than a month I will be traveling to India to study social problems. FOR THREE WEEKS. India. Like, in Asia. Like 7,837 mi across the WORLD. Needless to say, I am kinda freaking the freak out. I’ve been away from home for weeks at a time but never more than a few hours drive away. This is something else entirely. I am going to miss my kids (though I doubt they are going to even notice I’m gone). I’m going to miss the animals. I’m going to be home sick AF. It’s just a thing. I’m going to cry. I’m literally going to be crying the entire trip. I’m a crier, it’s what I do. Clearly I’m going off on a tangent so I’m going to walk away now. I’ll be back. Pray for me y’all, it’s getting real!

Thanks for joining me! I am traveling from Tennessee to India for a semester abroad. This will be a collection of photos and journal like entries before, during, and after my trip. I’m excited and terrified, I’m not going to lie. This trip is taking me way beyond my comfort zone. Nothing good comes from staying comfortable so, here we go! I hope you stick around and enjoy this journey with me.

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”

Anthony Bourdain