The Borlaug Blog

My whole body is aching. I feel as if every bone in my body is displaced as I desperately reach my leg out to feel some relief. I am met with more pain as I flex my feet in circular motions. The person beside me shifts in his seat and struggles to find a position to sleep in. I strenuously extend my arm to tap the screen in front of me and select “track my flight”. Seven more hours. Halfway there. Halfway to what might be the single most exciting, crazy, thrilling experience of my life. Halfway to where I’ll be on the other side of the world from my family and home. Traveling 13477 km; just 6739 km more to go. 

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The ride from the airport to the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation was the moment when I realized what being 13477 km from home felt like. Stepping into the instantaneous sweat inducing weather and hearing the rush of honking as motorbikes swerved through traffic was immediately exhilarating. As the driver sped through the continuous roads I saw autos, motorbikes, workers walking back from work with their backpacks, fruit stands, bright lights from shops, pastel colored stone buildings, and glimpses of the bay along a bridge. Chennai is a large, bustling city, and although I’m used to a busy city environment, a pit of worry planted in my stomach and began to grow. The scenery felt foreign and unfamiliar and the language of Tamil that flourishes in this state flowed through my ears. Through the tiredness from jet lag setting in and the realization of the new journey hitting, I questioned my readiness. 

The fruit of worry was in season during this first week and its petals prodded by heart and thorns poked at my stomach. Entering my room with my luggage, immediately turning on the fan, and sitting on the chair, I felt the urge to call my family and check in to see what they were doing. However, I refrained and decided to close my eyes and take a deep breath. I listened to the loud hum of the fan, the stray dogs howling from outside, and the dripping of the rain that was starting. Smiling, I comforted myself in this feeling of nerves and anxiousness because as I unpacked my suitcase and lay on the bed, I felt the nectar of excitement and appreciation slowly course through my mind. I decided I would enjoy every moment of every day even if mistakes were made so that I can learn and savor time as much as I can. 

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The first day in the office, I was greeted by a room full of women scientists who welcomed me with open arms and smiles. Ugalechumi and Indu were the first two mentors that I met at the foundation and they immediately took me under their wing as one of their own and made sure that the 13477 km truly didn’t feel as far as it was. I introduced myself to the other workers in the office at breakfast in the canteens while eating vada and at tea time drinking cardamom tea while showing pictures of my family. These moments revealed more culture to me as I tried the vast array of South Indian cuisine and realized the significance that family and community has in shaping connections in Tamil Nadu. I was embraced by the JRD TATA Ecotechnology Centre and MSSRF as I continued to ask questions about their passions and projects and was inspired by the empowering research that these researchers were contributing to. 

One of the aspects of MSSRF that truly blew me away this week was my surprise at how many smart and passionate women scientists there were in the foundation. The dedication of the women scientists inspired me to push away my fears for the first week and revel in the research that they were devoting their lives to advancing. One scientist was in her ninth month of pregnancy and yet she continued to work until just the other day to go on maternity leave. Two scientists in the office commute for 2 hours to get to the office one way and travel back 2 hours once work ends, leaving their homes at 7am and getting back at 9pm everyday. These are just a few stories of women I look up to, but every single worker here has their own story of dedication. It was empowering for me to hear that despite the challenges and the long commute that these scientists face, they are motivated by the change they want to bring to their community. I know that learning from these scientists over the next seven weeks will make for an unforgettable experience and that I’ll leave feeling empowered. 

On Sunday I was invited to visit India’s longest and the world’s second longest beach, Marina Beach. With Ugalechumi and two other coworker friends I made, Gopika and Dhanashree, we explored the beach teeming with families enjoying the sandy shores. They encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone for one of the first times since I landed and we played a balloon target game that ended up being one of my favorite memories of the week. What was especially special about this day was that after the beach Gopika and Dhanashree took me to Sangeetha Veg Restaurant where I tried butter masala dosa as per an enthusiastic Dhanashree’s suggestion. During this dinner, I not only enjoyed the food immensely, but I was able to laugh fully carefree, genuinely, and comfortably. My stomach was full, my heart was warm, and I envisioned the next exciting adventure that awaited me. It was this day that I felt the petals that were prodding begin to soften and the thorns that were poking disappear so that all that was left of the flower of worry was a seed. What this seed is to grow into is something I am willing to let this journey tell me. For now, this week sowed the seed of a plant I’m hoping to cherish, nurture, and grow over the next seven weeks.