Fletcher School masters candidate Kristen Wallerstedt recently visited India and left with “a new perspective on life, society, history, and humanity.” As a student of international economics and politics, her first time in South Asia was life changing. She wrote a note about her experiences which was featured in the blog “Critical Twenties,” a blog ran by twenty-something Indians who wish to create a forum for discussions about India and its place in the world. In it, she contrasts India with the Western world and discusses culture, politics, the economy, the media, social movements, and the general life lessons she learned on her trip:

Sadh, one of the many Indian gurus, says that in your life, if you don’t do what you can’t do, there is no problem but if you don’t do what you can do, that is a tragedy. Spiritual leadership is prominent here; even the most modern and logical have a guru that they follow. From India, for now, what I learn that I can do is to place a higher value on spirituality, tradition and history, and to continue to develop intellectually and find peace amidst the craziness of the world. India made me realize that in contrast to the pressures I feel in America, for now, I don’t want to seek to have an impact on the world, as we are often urged in our American education. Instead, I have realized that I still need the world to have an impact on me.

Be sure to check out the rest of Kristen’s musings here.