15 hours. That’s how long it took to fly from Oakton to New Delhi. In a nutshell India could be described as the world’s largest democracy, the seventh largest country in the world and home to 1.2 billion people. However, no amount of research could have prepared me for actually living here. As I make my way through the streets of New Delhi, the 100 degree weather and cows who roam  the streets are the least of my worries.

The school I attend, the American Embassy School, consists of completely outdoor hallways, which leave us exposed to nature. The other week as I was leaving my biology class and making my way up the stairs, a monkey dropped down from one of the balconies and landed a few steps above mine. Now this appeared completely surreal to me as I had only previously viewed monkeys behind bars at a zoo, but this is a normal occurrence here in India, or so I’m told. I have yet to find something to top the monkey riding the cow down my street, though.

India is more than its chaos. Home to some of the oldest cities in history, it has time and time again rebuilt itself. Only a ten minute drive from my home is the India Gate, pictured above. The national monument was built in 1931 as a memorial to the soldiers who died in World War 1, and it bears a striking resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe in France. Opposite the India Gate is the president’s house, the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The renowned monument is said to have once been palace of the Viceroy of India. While there is no longer a Viceroy to live in the palace, I have assumed his place as another integral part of India’s thriving lifestyle.

The country is full of different cultural norms and behaviors that I’m not used to, and being a blonde haired American, I stick out like a sore thumb. When I go out sight-seeing, the number of people wanting to take a picture with me and not of the monuments astounds me. Looking around though there’s much more to see than just the history. The plazas surrounding the monument are always crowded and full of life. With women wrapped in an array of brightly colored saris, the children playing in a nearby fountains and the men selling items ranging from sunglasses to dancing cobra’s, the city never has a dull moment. Living in India is stepping into the unknown and you can never predict what’s going to happen next.