By Chase Carneal

From walking off the plane into New Delhi to helping locals build a house in Agora, I have found that India is significantly more different from the United States than I thought it would be. When I signed up for the trip to India, I knew that India wouldn’t feel like America, but I had the idea that at least the little rural village might be a little like home. When I got there, however, I found a much different world. The smells, the air, and the general vibe in the area felt so much different. 

To start, the streets in town have no cars, or room for them. Trucks outside of Agora are only used by people who need them. My little town back home, Ophelia, has a car at every house, and often a truck as well. You can get anywhere by walking in Agora, but there’s nowhere to walk to where I live. The buildings here are made out of concrete and slate. In Ophelia, however, the houses are made out of cinder blocks or siding. In Ophelia, I am one of maybe ten people under 18 years old. Despite Agora being very traditional, it is full of people both young and old who care about the village. Being near (or fifty feet from) saltwater is one of my favorite things about my home. In Agora, I’m about a mile’s hike to any water and farther from an ocean than I’ve ever been. 

Agora and Ophelia share some similarities as well, however. In Agora, nearly everyone does everything. Though this isn’t completely true in my town, fixing your car or boat is very common, as well as calling your neighbor to help you do these repairs. As I mentioned at the start of this post, I helped some locals build an addition on a house. When I did this it reminded me of all the times my father and I have had to fix something that broke in our house. Everyone is friends with each other in Agora and Ophelia, and if your neighbor needs help, you help them. The sense of community and camaraderie between neighbors is well paralleled between the two towns.

Despite all of these differences from my home, this area is a fun place and I know my ten days here will be well spent and very enjoyable.