I played famous Christmas songs on my violin while my friends sang along. In turn, my Indian friends exposed me to local music styles through the Hindi Bollywood music we danced to at parties, the traditional Indian classical vocal concerts hosted by NCBS, the dreamy Bengali (West Bengal is a state in India) serenades they posted on WhatsAp and more.
Whenever I first move to a new place, whether to a different state for college or across the world to conduct research, I often wake up with a knot in my stomach because I feel like I am swimming in the open sea with no anchors – no family or friends – to hold onto. However, humans and their internal humanity exist all over the world and there are certain bridges, such as music and a fascination with nature, that cross cultural boundaries. I love this place and these people, and I feel at home now.
