Sanmyukta Shinde, Grade 11
UWC Mahindra
The beauty of the hills,
The depth of the valleys,
The worn-out swing that sits at the brink of the lawn
The incredible view from the edge of the world.
It all seemed so distant before,
But on getting the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful world,
I learnt a lot of things.
I learnt that this place stands because of its people,
Its beauty is delicately carried by the love of its community.
A community that lives somewhere far away, in the middle of nowhere,
Yet, filling this space amidst a woodland, with laughter, joy, tears and unity.
I learnt that things here happen because of its people.
People from different parts of the world,
People from places that I had never seen before,
And, people I would have never known if it wasn’t for this place.
I remember feeling overwhelmed with hundreds of emotions,
Seeing my family sitting in the car and driving down the road,
Slowly moving away from me,
Leaving me here on my own,
I remember feeling empty and suddenly overwhelmed with confusion, curiosity, sadness and a numbing feeling of desolation.
How long would I go without seeing my family next?
Gradually, the days filled up with seminars, college meetings, classes and events.
Weeks passed with engaging in trivenis and making friends.
Homestays and Experience India Week turned those unknown people into the best of friends!
Playing card games and drinking cups of chai after chai,
Who knew that these moments in the train would create an unbreakable bond of friendship!
Sitting around tables during chai time and talking about our MUWCI moments,
Who knew that chai could bring us all together!
Amongst the mountains in Kanatal during Experience India Week,
As I sat by the bonfire with my friends around me,
I felt immense gratitude for the people that I had met.
Amidst eating hot bhaakris right off the stove,
And creating bonds with complete strangers,
I had found a family.
From cooking pasta with my roommates in the middle of the night,
To climbing the Art Center roof to watch the sunset with friends.
From attending philosophy classes in the library lawn under the warm sun,
To attending those Thursday events in the MPH with dinner plates in our hands.
From going into the valley and creating connections through trivenis,
To staying up till midnight in the AQ, to study for that test.
From dancing at the college meeting for the first time,
To reading out my poem and allowing myself to be vulnerable in front of the entire community.
MUWCI and its community helped me rediscover lost parts of myself.
These days turned into weeks,
And weeks into months,
We were creating unforgettable memories together,
At this home called MUWCI,
And this was just the beginning…
The depth of the valleys,
The worn-out swing that sits at the brink of the lawn
The incredible view from the edge of the world.
It all seemed so distant before,
But on getting the opportunity to be a part of this beautiful world,
I learnt a lot of things.
I learnt that this place stands because of its people,
Its beauty is delicately carried by the love of its community.
A community that lives somewhere far away, in the middle of nowhere,
Yet, filling this space amidst a woodland, with laughter, joy, tears and unity.
I learnt that things here happen because of its people.
People from different parts of the world,
People from places that I had never seen before,
And, people I would have never known if it wasn’t for this place.
I remember feeling overwhelmed with hundreds of emotions,
Seeing my family sitting in the car and driving down the road,
Slowly moving away from me,
Leaving me here on my own,
I remember feeling empty and suddenly overwhelmed with confusion, curiosity, sadness and a numbing feeling of desolation.
How long would I go without seeing my family next?
Gradually, the days filled up with seminars, college meetings, classes and events.
Weeks passed with engaging in trivenis and making friends.
Homestays and Experience India Week turned those unknown people into the best of friends!
Playing card games and drinking cups of chai after chai,
Who knew that these moments in the train would create an unbreakable bond of friendship!
Sitting around tables during chai time and talking about our MUWCI moments,
Who knew that chai could bring us all together!
Amongst the mountains in Kanatal during Experience India Week,
As I sat by the bonfire with my friends around me,
I felt immense gratitude for the people that I had met.
Amidst eating hot bhaakris right off the stove,
And creating bonds with complete strangers,
I had found a family.
From cooking pasta with my roommates in the middle of the night,
To climbing the Art Center roof to watch the sunset with friends.
From attending philosophy classes in the library lawn under the warm sun,
To attending those Thursday events in the MPH with dinner plates in our hands.
From going into the valley and creating connections through trivenis,
To staying up till midnight in the AQ, to study for that test.
From dancing at the college meeting for the first time,
To reading out my poem and allowing myself to be vulnerable in front of the entire community.
MUWCI and its community helped me rediscover lost parts of myself.
These days turned into weeks,
And weeks into months,
We were creating unforgettable memories together,
At this home called MUWCI,
And this was just the beginning…
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Image Credits: Farhan Faud, student at UWC Mahindra
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