And it begins again…

May 30, 2010

(Published much later because of difficulty finding internet access)

For those of you who followed my blog last summer, you traveled across the world with me to countries such as South Africa and Italy. It was such a fantastic adventure and the experience of a lifetime. Well I have been bit pretty hard by the travel bug, and I have become incredibly blessed with another opportunity to circumnavigate the globe this summer – this time in the opposite direction.

Although there aren’t as many stops on this trip as there were last year, this international adventure promises to be a very interesting one. Right now, I’m headed to India with UNICEF (I’m literally writing this on the plane) to take part in post-graduate research exploring the child health in tribal communities under the Integrated Child Development Scheme of India. I’ve been stationed in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, which is in the northeastern part of India.

I’ve never been to India before, but I’ve always had an interest in the country. Why? Firstly, because it’s the most populated country in the world next to China. With over 1 billion people in such a small space, India is jam-packed with exemplary public health case studies. For example, India is where major cataract surgery camps helped thousands of poor communities see again, and where innovative models of small birthing clinics across rural areas have helped reduce maternal and infant mortality.  So India is a fantastic place to continue gaining and diversifying my fieldwork as a public health practitioner. Secondly, India is an emerging superpower. If you haven’t already heard this, you may as well have been living in a cave. The implications are enormous. Super-power. Thirdly, why not? We all loved Slumdog Millionaire, didn’t we? Jai-ho!

I’ve been incredibly busy over the last few months with work and school, so I haven’t exactly had much time to prepare, let alone get excited for this trip. So when I got to the airport earlier today, I had to pinch myself to realize what was going on. Well, that and I needed a distraction because some kid vomited in the ticketing area. But I was reminded that everything really does fall into place when I started chatting with my seatmate on the plane. The gentleman next to me actually worked with UNICEF India for 5 years, and he is currently working toward his PhD in Health Communications at a very reputable University in the US. He gave me some great advice on the research program that I’m about to experience, and he shared his optimism on the field of health communications for my future career. It was a perfect start to a quest that will hopefully help me define a fruitful and fulfilling career path.

So it has begun…post-grad life, my trip to India, and a new adventure around the world.