30 Day Chalenge: Day 14

Tell us about the neighborhood that you grew up in and how it helped shape you into the kind of person you are today. (Yale and the University of Chicago)

Just got off the overnight train from Kathgodam (North India). My family and I had just moved from Karnataka (South India) to Uttarkhand (North India). It was my first time in the hills; we had just driven eight hours up the curvy –scary roads of north India, slowly gaining elevation and climbing up the hills. My first house was a summer mansion, located far from the local market. It was a green place, home to most of the wild pheasants and leopards I ever saw. The house, was in the center of two other summer mansions, and the home of the watch guard. Friends were close to zero during winter; however there were always three to four boys who lived on the country side. We played a lot of the cricket mostly, and that was it. I was friendly; they were the only friends I had. I had no contact from any other kid, from the city, except in the summer. Since, Uttarkhand is a hill station, tourist come, rent and buy houses, for the summer. ( that was in 2001 -2002). It’s impossible now and then to, since it is an army cantonment area. Its known as the Kumoan regiment, a part of the Indian Army. We shifted house from that area to another place close by but still far from the local market. Here I made the most friends. They were not like any of the city kids, they were brought up to share, reset and care of each other, and my involvement with them made has made me a person somewhat like them. Just like me, a Norwegian family had settled there ( they still live there), experienced the same problems like me. It wasn’t long since they came that we ( the locals and I ) had become great friends with the Norwegian. And we still are. I had to move again, and this time we were far, far away from anything. No body around except a an older adult ( he is maybe in his 20s) who helped my father with work became my friend. He is a great guy, I spent most of free time with him, he taught me stuff on the hills and language, and the customs of that area. My neighborhood has always been small, but filled with great people, with great minds. I have learnt how to make friends where ever I go, and learn from them. I am what I am because of them.