Have you ever been to India? If so, did you like it? In the summer of 2023, I went to Thane, Maharashtra, India. It was an amazing trip of which I will sum up some of my favorite parts. Firstly, I had to go to Minneapolis Airport and board the plane heading to Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, we were seconds away from missing our flight. Turns out, our flight got a little bit delayed and we arrived in Mumbai, India at 3:45 A.M., while my grandparents were wondering where we were. Turns out, my grandparents met us outside at 4:30 A.M. and my mom and I were so happy to see my grandparents and vice-versa. Unfortunately, we lost our luggage in Amsterdam but we got it back in three days. Coincidentally,  We were in the car and we drove to my grandparents’ residence, Primrose. It seemed like a hotel and it felt so nostalgic coming there after 6 years. First order of business; take a shower. In Primrose, the bathrooms are a little different compared to the bathrooms in the USA. But, I got the hang of them quite quickly. Instantly after showering, I took a two-hour nap.

Once I woke up, I was greeted with open arms by my grandparents. They gave me plenty of hugs and kisses. First thing that I did was I drank some milk and biscuits. That was the start of the best trip I have ever had. 

An interesting thing that I did was play tennis in 104-degree weather.  I played well but jet lag and extreme heat got the best of me. That night, I went to a street shop called Prashant Corner.  The pain puri was delicious. I had street food for dinner.

I went to Pune and experienced crazy traffic. I got to meet my great-grandmother and the rest of my family in Pune. There, we ate great food and our drivers were also very good. On our trip, we went to Lonawala with my cousin who is 3 years younger than me but still calls me ‘naughty’. She told me that her parents told me that I was a crybaby the last time I visited India. That was 6 years ago.

I went back to my Thane home and it was monsoon. There was so much water that it felt like it was a small creek. I put on my grandma’s rain jacket which could fit me. I had so much fun jumping in the puddles. Unfortunately, I had to go back inside. But, it was not that bad. I got to make roasted corn with Indian spices.

During the trip, we went to a lot of temples. The food at the temples were really good. I ate sugar and laddoos. I did namaskar to the gods at the temples. It was very crowded. But, it was still quite decent. 

During the end of July, we were very sad to have to leave India. We wish to go there soon. It was a fun trip where I got to do so many amazing things. I want the next trip to be forever.