Food poisoning definitely wasn't something any of us expected to experience during our internship. Within a short period of time, all five members of our group became sick, and what had originally been a busy schedule of research activities quickly turned into several days focused entirely on recovery.

Although it was physically exhausting, going through the experience together made it much easier. We checked in on one another, shared food whenever someone felt well enough to eat, and laughed about the situation once we started feeling better. Looking back, it became one of those unexpected moments that brought our group even closer together.

Sometimes it's easy to think that studying abroad is only about the exciting memories, but experiences like these become part of the journey as well. They remind you how important friendship and support are when you're far away from home.

During these two weeks, our professor travelled to the United Kingdom to attend a conference, so our group wasn't conducting field visits. Instead, we spent our time preparing presentations, organizing our findings, and reflecting on everything we had learned throughout our fieldwork in Almora.

At first, the slower pace felt unusual after several weeks of constantly travelling and interviewing healthcare professionals. However, having time to revisit our notes allowed me to connect ideas that I hadn't fully appreciated while we were in the field. It reminded me that learning doesn't only happen during interviews or site visits. Reflection is an equally important part of the research process.

Looking back, this quieter period became an opportunity to consolidate everything we had experienced before moving into the next stage of our project.

One of the highlights of my time at IIT Roorkee has been joining the university tennis club. Sports have always been an important part of my life, so being able to continue playing while studying abroad made campus feel much more like home.

The kindness I received from the tennis coach and other players made the experience even more memorable. After I mistakenly bought badminton shoes instead of tennis shoes, the coach immediately offered to lend me his own pair for the rest of my stay. He also let me borrow one of his rackets whenever I came to practice. It was such a generous gesture that made me feel genuinely welcomed into the community.

Beyond improving my tennis, the club became a place where I could meet students, learn more about life at IIT, and connect with people outside of my research project. It reminded me that sport has a unique ability to bring people together, regardless of where they're from.

One evening we went to a movie theatre to watch a Bollywood action film entirely in Hindi. Even though I couldn't understand most of the dialogue, it was still a memorable cultural experience. Watching the audience laugh, cheer, and react together showed me how much movies can bring people together regardless of language.

I was also interested by some of the themes in the film. The story featured two female leads who challenged traditional gender stereotypes by taking on action roles. At the same time, it sparked conversations about beauty standards, gender representation, and patriotism in popular media. It reminded me that films can offer a fascinating glimpse into the values and conversations within a society.