Good morning, everyone. We woke up with excitement, knowing we would visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort today. These were the places we had been looking forward to the most. Before I share our experiences at the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, let me tell you what happened earlier that day.

We start very early, at 7:00, and we were already in the car. All of us were half-sleep. We haven’t processed the excitement yet. We stopped at a jolly food court to get breakfast. We were like zombies until we got our food. We start building our excitement and discuss what we will see, how big it is, and how beautiful it will be, with its looks and history. When all of us finished our breakfast, we quickly got in the car. We split the group into two cars. We were on a road trip until we got to that gas station. We must get out of the car to gas the car, pretty interesting, right? right? Anyway, we were waiting for snacks and stretched well before a three-hour-long road trip. All of us rushed to get in the cars because, of course, we wanted to see one of the seven wonders in the whole world. During that car ride, we chatted, gossiped, and took the chance to sleep more. When we arrived, we thought we were here. No, we need to get on a big golf cart, then walk some more and some more, and get through the gateway of the Taj Mahal. We saw the beautiful white marble, the Taj Mahal. You may be wondering why the Taj Mahal is so famous.

The history behind it is so adorable, but it's a very wild ride. The king was so in love with his wife. The king and queen have 14 children together, but the queen died during the last birth. The king was so devastated that the eldest son felt the king (father) should remain in the Agra Fort because he couldn't rule the country. Background information on the sons: the eldest son wants to become king, but the king wants his second son to become king, not the eldest. Plus, the Agra Fort is the king’s home. So the king (father) was imprisoned in the Agra Fort, where he watched the Taj Mahal being built of white marble, with the tiniest details everywhere. It took 22 years to build. The place originally had the wife alone buried there, but eventually the king joined the queen and was buried with her on the same side. So, back to the eldest son, who has been at odds with the second son for a long time. Until it reached a point where the eldest son tied up the second son and rode a horse through a crowd. The eldest son thought that was not a big deal. The people gave the eldest son the opposite reaction that he wanted. People cried and felt bad for the second son. The eldest son got angrier to the point where he sliced the second son’s head and gave it to the king in the Agra fort. You can imagine the king was so devastated that his wife died, he did everything for her to go peacefully, but the country ended up in chaos. The story is so amazing because of the king’s love for her wife and what happened.

The building itself, along with its history, is more amazing to learn about. We also did one of the most crucial things: taking a picture with the Taj Mahal. Ciara, Malinda, and Melanie decided to dress up in sarees (Indian dresses). It was so beautiful, and we took many pictures together and individually. Of course, the others took many pictures in their India shirts, and we felt united. We did have fun strategizing how to take a picture before anybody took it. The pictures and seeing the buildings will never be forgotten.

We were so invested in the Taj Mahal that we forgot about lunch. We got dinner together at a place that had butter chicken. That is famous in India. The majority tried it and loved it, and it tasted even better with naan bread. Naan bread is unbeatable in India. It is so delicious. When we were done, we were all ready to get in the car because it would be another 3-4 hour ride back to the hotel. We have chatted, got more gossip, and sleep when we can. Today is the day that international studies will never forget. It’s a core memory for everyone.

You want to know what will happen the next day, come back tomorrow.

-Ciara Svenningsen