by Lara McCormick
This post is part of our ‘Virtual Campfire’ series where we asked our audience to share stories about their first visit to India.
The first time i visited India was in October of 2019. I landed in Bangalore, and from there headed to a Buddhist monastery where I taught graphic design to monks for a week.
It was a work trip. I was Creative Director at the Exploratorium (in San Francisco) at the time, and part of their ‘Science for Monks’ program includes helping them design an exhibition that they share with rural villages in India. I spent most of my trip in the secluded monastery, enjoying the balmy weather, amazing vegetarian cuisine, and learning about Buddhism.
At the end of the trip, I spent an extra day in the city before heading to the airport. It was here I got my fix of busy city life. Crowded streets, crazy traffic, cows, food carts, colors, a new language. The culture was new to me and fascinating. I soaked in every minute of it and can’t wait to visit again.