Mary Heer, a senior at the University of Iowa, recently spent some time in India with other UI students and two professors, Bob and Kristy Walker.
Heer is currently finishing up her degree in Communications Studies and minor in ASL as well as an Entrepreneurial Management Certificate. She has been involved with the Sigma chapter of Alpha Chi Omega since her freshman year. She is also on staff at a nonprofit organization called YoungLife, a non-denominational Christian organization focusing on high school and middle school ministry, leadership and mentorship. Heer says she has grown to know and love those who she works closely with over the last few years.
This last Janurary, Heer traveled to Madurai, India, for three weeks during winterim. When asked why she chose to go abroad, Heer says, “One of my best friends went on a six month discipleship program in Chennai this past year and loved everything about India, so I thought to myself as Bob talked about it in class, ‘Why not?’ I couldn’t deny the tug at my heart to go for it. So I did.”
Heer is a light packer, so deciding what to leave in her backpack and what to take out was not difficiult for her. “I packed two pairs of pants and four shirts and bought the rest of my clothing at some Indian clothing stores. I figured most of my American clothes were not culturally appropriate for a majority of the time in India, so I went into the trip with the mindset of buying a good amount of clothes and budgeted accordingly.”
Naturally, I asked Heer about the food she tried, and she said the most consistent meal of the trip was what she ate for breakfast, idly and sambar, a lentil based cake that you dip into a lentil based soup with different vegetables.
Of her time spent on the trip, Heer reminisced about one of her favorite memories, climbing a mountain right outside of Madurai. “We started off with our guide, Oscar, around 6:15 a.m before sunrise at the bottom of the mountain. The mountain was surprisingly steep and extremely rocky with red rocks and trees all over. As we climbed, we gradually saw breathtaking views through gaps in the trees.”
“As we neared the summit, the sun was out, and the sky was so clear we could see for miles all around us. It was such a sweet moment to have shared with my friends, but also a really great moment to reflect on life in India and what I wanted to take back with me.”
Out of the countless people she met during her trip, Heer mentions a woman named Sasikala, who she credits with showing her the most about life. Sasikala is a graduate student at a university in Madurai working towards her masters in Human Resources. “I think what I really took from knowing Sasikala was that she was so welcoming, open, and absolutely hilarious. She taught me there was no barrier to being friends with someone. There’s nothing that can hold you back from being friends with someone besides yourself and the preconceived notions you may have about the situation you’re going into,” says Heer.
On the poverty embedded into India’s populous culture, she says, “Their popoulation density is so much higher than America’s, there were people everywhere. Their poverty was just out on display for the world to see, and honestly there wasn’t anything they could really do about their location, it was just how things worked over there.”
Heer was humbled by her experience visiting an elderly person’s orphange. “When you think of the word ‘orphanage’, one usually thinks of little children and wishes of adoption. This orphanage was for all adults who had been cast out of their families and had no other place to go. Many of them had mental disabilities and some physical ailments” says Here. “We got to hangout and be with them for some time, hugging and sharing getsures with them. It was such a hard experience, but a worthy and important one. I was so humbled by their love and their want to just hold my hand. That’s all life is really about, being loved and known. Holding a hand and asking a question.”
If Heer could travel anywhere in the world, she would head to Argentina or another South American country so that she could work on her Spanish skills while experiencing a new, rich culture.
For students considering spending time abroad, Heer says “If you have the opportunity, funds, and want to do it, I highly recommend the trip to anyone and everyone. If you want to be stretched culturally and given ways to make a difference, then I recommend at least applying.”
If you’re a student at the University of Iowa and considering studying abroad in the future, check out the university’s study abroad page, where you can search programs, contact counselors, and read student travel tips. Sometimes all it takes is a little courage and a little wanderlust to get you there. I think Heer can agree that time spent abroad is time well spent.