Erin Haley
This past week has been filled with a variety of very confused emotions. I’ve been trying to get my visa extended for the past month and a half, only to realize on Tuesday that by the time I hear back about whether my request has been accepted or denied, it will be too late to make alternate travel arrangements. As a result, I had to switch my flight from August 23 to August 3 and let Atma know I will have to leave early. My initial reaction was a mixture of relief and frustration; I had spent hours upon hours filling out extension applications, running around the Foreigners Registration Office (FRO), and getting the right documents from Atma and local authorities. On the bright side, the times of FRO visits were over, but I felt like I had wasted so much time. As one of my coworkers said, the bureaucracy had let me down.
As the day went on, I started to think about all the great parts about going home early: warm showers, my grandmother’s cooking, and being free from hand washing clothes. I’d even get to attend my dad’s 100 kilometer race in Colorado, go hiking with my boyfriend, and see my high school friends before heading back to Michigan. The more I thought about it, the more I could see that there were silver linings to this abrupt change of plans.
However, my feelings would soon become more complicated. After work on Wednesday, my coworker asked me to come with her to a bakery that apparently is quite famous in the Pune area—one that I admittedly had never heard of. As we hopped out of our cab and waited for mawa cake and shrewsbury biscuits, I started to realize how much of Pune I still had not seen. I have been in Pune for close to two months, and despite traveling to various new neighborhoods every weekend, I still have so much to see and do. It dawned upon me then how much I loved and would miss this city that could always offer another market to shop at or a new street food to try. The weekend soon came and I made sure to explore new areas of Pune—including an amazing market—to make the most of my final few weeks.
There may indeed be benefits to heading home early, but I can’t say that I won’t miss Pune. The meaning of ‘bittersweet’ finally feels real. When the time comes to board my flight back home, I’ll be excited for what waits on the other side, but for now, I’m perfectly happy with my new home.
