We drove out of the heart of the Himalayas yesterday, leaving behind Agora and our incredible friends there. It was a sad goodbye in some senses. For the seniors on this trip, this was perhaps the last chance to get to know and spend time with Suman, Kabu, Rihan, Vedic, Shivam, Mama, Avtar, Sheetal, Krishna, Sarita, Monita, and so many more people. The last time to consider life through the lens of a traditional Garhwali village. The last time to push through physical limitations on the vertical climbs of the Assi Ganga Valley. For the rest of us, it was maybe just a “see you next year” moment (all of the students raised their hands when asked if they want to come back). But, regardless, it was a major transition.

We’re now in Rishikesh, where the temperature is 20-30 degrees hotter and the millions of Indians who flock on pilgrimages to this part of India each summer are here with us. We walked to the evening aarti at the biggest ashram on the Ganges yesterday and on the way, it was sweaty and congested. Families from Gujarat were mixed with Sadhus, foreigners trying to make sense of it all, locals seeking spiritual purification, and much more. The aarti was an incredible spectacle and it’s impossible to be here and not think about the ways that people orient themselves around religion, belief, and spirituality. The power of the Ganges is very tangible.

We’re going to spend the morning enjoying the sights and tastes of this holy city before hitting the road and heading to Delhi, our final stop on the trip. There’s so much for us to process and learn more about. How do the politics of the central government shape life back where we just were? What forces are most powerful in India these days? Tradition and religion or development and modernization? What is our role as foreigners? How does the way we consume India impact the way it exists?

There are blog posts in the works. There are pictures to share. But, for now, please know we’re missing our Himalayan home but also excited by the energy of the bustling plains.