If you have seen me or heard from me in the past month or so, my big news is my upcoming big trip to India, with a short stop-over in Istanbul for 3-ish days. I'm going for school, for a course entitled "Introduction to Social Entrepreneurship". For those not familiar with social entrepreneurship (I, for one, was not prior to this course), it's basically the following, according to my class syllabus:
Social entrepreneurship is the nurturing and development of ideas the leads to new programs or approaches to social issues identified in a community. The fundamental premises are that the program (1) is an innovative approach to solving a social issue, (2) is consistent with the broader mission of the organization, (3) benefits the civic life of the community, (4) benefits the clients of the program, and (5) is managed in a way that is operationally feasible for the organization.
Basically, we are going to India to meet with nonprofits and health-related organizations who fit this definition, see how they work and meet the brains behind the operations. But that's just for the first 12 days. Then I get to do some legit backpacking for 2+weeks. Basically, this is my dream-trip.
I'm packed. I'm excited. I have my required textbooks, and everything on the provided checklist. If you know me at all, you know I have been dying to go to India for years. So how in the world can I, after weeks of planning, organizing and preparing, say that I don't feel ready?
It really has nothing to do with my actual preparation (or lack thereof...). India, at least in my understanding, is not a place that anyone who hasn't been can really "prepare" to experience, nor does it make complete sense to those who have been there. I have done my reading, spoken with native Indians and previous visitors alike (seen some Bollywood too - love it!!). But I know, in reality, that there is no book I can flip through, nor film I can watch that will truly capture the place or people that I will see and meet in a few short days, and I suppose I need to be ok with that. I am ready as I will ever be, and I think I can wait the few short days to get there, and take from the experience whatever it offers me.
And off I go...
