I’ve been in India for a little more than a week now, and I still can’t really believe I’m here. I haven’t gotten used to the heat, the sounds, the smells and the sights, but each day this feels more and more real and I’m excited (and a little frightened!) about what the next three months will hold…

Auroville, the ‘ecovillage’ where we are living and studying, is unlike anything I have ever seen. I know that the explanations of the area that I offered before I left were vague and incomplete, and after a few days here I can tell that it will take some time before I really figure this place out. I think the most defining feature of the place is the spirituality—both a philosophy and a practice—that draws people here and binds them together once they decide to stay. I have only learned a little about this spiritual outlook, which is all about the ‘evolution of human consciousness’ and a progression towards a new kind of human unity, and I can’t wait to learn more about how these views shape peoples’ lives from day to day…

The area was almost entirely deserted until the 1960s when a group of people came here and took it upon themselves to build an international city that would be open to people of all origins and would enable citizens to pursue their spiritual aspirations. The early pioneers here had no crops, water, electricity or even trees for shade, and it’s amazing to think about how much they have developed here since then. Some people live in huts or capsules made of local materials and thatched roofs, but the city also has an air-conditioned movie theater, a visitor center with restaurants and shops and lots of modern, sleek and energy-efficient buildings. I’m constantly struck by how different every place is; if anything, I’ve been learning that I can’t predict or expect what I’ll find anywhere.

One of the most interesting places I’ve seen here is the one we’re all living in. Auroville is constantly being built upon and developed to fulfill a number of enormous design and organization goals, and one part of the plan calls for an International Zone that will provide a place for all nations to offer various aspects of their culture to the greater community. Currently, only three countries (India, Tibet and America) are represented in this area, and my group has been living in the American Pavillion. Our building is built to stand alone, which means that it can theoretically run on inputs (like sunlight and water) that it collects through solar panels and a water-harvesting system. It’s also designed so that it stays cool throughout the day; all of the bedrooms open onto a large covered patio that’s breezy even in the middle of the day and functions like our living room. We also have a washing machine and a wireless internet connection, which I think we all greatly appreciate. Two of my friends and I are sharing a bedroom with a small shower and sink room attached, and all of the water we use there goes back into the vegetation around the house. All of the toilets are compost toilets (Google that if you don’t know what they are)…just another example of the ways in which the built environment is designed to support the natural environment around us. Our building also has a little mote around it that is supposed to keep out snakes, scorpions and other members of that category; so far it has been effective but I don’t want to jinx anything…

Overall, it’s been really pleasant living here. The heat has taken a little getting used to, but it’s not that bad even in the middle of the day and the nights are even kind of chilly. It also hasn’t been unbearably buggy; mosquitoes are really only a problem during the early morning (when we’re inside doing yoga) and at dusk, and our rooms are designed to be mosquito proof, so we haven’t been using bug nets when we sleep. It took a few nights to get used to the sounds (which include noises from loud birds and frogs, parties in neighboring farms and early-morning prayer music from the villages), but now I’m pretty used to that; waking up at 5:45 every day also makes it easier to get to sleep!

I know many of you were curious about the food, and I was surprised to find that there is an enormous range of options here. Meat and fish are hard to come by, but in addition to Indian food we’ve eaten Israeli/Middle Eastern, Tibetan, Italian, and lots of what I have been calling ‘spa-fusion’ food, which is usually a combination of rice or another grain, several vegetables, a sauce or flavor from a particular cuisine and a salad. Our breakfast is also pretty American (usually bread and peanut butter or jam, granola or cereal, lots of fruit and occasionally eggs). The range available in Auroville seems to be an exception within the greater area, largely because many of its residents and guests are from the West and there are a number of food production and processing operations that cater to these tastes.

I hope that creates some sense of where I am and what it’s like…even after about 10 days it all feels overwhelming, but I’ll try to post what I learn as it happens! Love to all!