Hyderabad Pre-Trip Blog
This is my first blog post and it is being written before I land in the Dubai airport for a connecting flight to Hyderabad, India. The feelings running through my mind at this moment are a combination of excitement, fear, restlessness, and curiosity. With every passing moment getting me closer to my destination and farther from the comforts of home I am trying to grapple with the rush of independence and awareness that I have not felt before. On this plane, there are not many people that look like me. There are only a few familiar faces from the other four Global Fellows accompanying me on this leg of the trip. This fact definitely places me quite far out of my comfort zone however I am embracing this change and looking to learn and grow from this small “culture shock.” On this plane, the realization that I am going to be spending two whole months in a country very foreign to me is starting to take shape.
I am most excited about the opportunity to see a part of the world that I would never have imagined I would be going to experience and the opportunity to work on projects that directly relate to the subject matter I am passionate about. India was never a destination that was on my list of place that I dreamed of visiting. However, by becoming a global fellow and doing more research on the different parts of India and the vibrant culture I am honestly extremely excited to see it all. A few of the destinations I hope to travel to during my time here are the Taj Mahal, Charminar, and the ruins of Hampi. However, though I am getting excited about all of the travel and the novel places to visit, the bulk of my time will be working with Franklin Templeton. The goal of this placement is to learn about capital markets around the world and intend to utilize this opportunity and mission to the fullest to develop myself and my understanding of the world economy. I am eager to work with my mentors at Franklin Templeton and apply the knowledge and skills I have learned at Santa Clara University.
With this I end my first blog post and I will sign back on for another update in a few weeks after I get my first taste of life in Hyderabad, India.
