What is a fresh start? If I were to explain it, I’d say moving across the world one week after graduating from college is a pretty solid example. But in my first few days in Hyderabad, I found that even in this time of transition, and in this unfamiliar place, I had been holding myself back from the beauty and value that can be found in the start of something.

This lesson came to me in the disappearance of one red suitcase, distinguished by a brown ribbon on the handle and full to bursting with every comfort I could fit within range of the 50lb weight limit. Long story short, a fellow traveler mistakenly took my bag at the Mumbai airport, leaving an identical bag- save for its thinner size and lack of ribbon- in its place, and leaving me without the belongings I’d packed for my time here.

What’s incredible is that this mixup has actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Spending my first week in Hyderabad without the suitcase full of items I’d curated to make myself feel as at home as possible really forced me to immerse myself in the city more than I would have otherwise. And it wasn’t long after buying my first few pairs of loose, patterned pants and trying out coconut oil as a substitute for the hair products I’m used to that other areas where I’d had the urge to skip the starting stage began to present themselves. I wanted to bypass the point of building initial connections with my co-fellows and get to the part where we all feel like we deeply know each other. I wanted to slide past feelings of unfamiliarity with the city and get to a place where I’d know where to go, how to get there, and whether the auto rickshaw driver was trying to overcharge me for the ride. I wanted to avoid the the nervousness of speaking in front of the students and feel like a pro in the classroom. But I’ve come to see that acclimating to a new place, a new job, a new community, is a lot like Monopoly. If you don’t pass GO, you don’t collect $200. Skipping the scary or uncomfortable stages of a new beginning means missing out on what comes along with them. Even if that means getting lost in a new neighborhood or getting a few butterflies in the stomach in front of the class, it’s worth it to commit to the fresh start. Because that’s where learning happens.

To give an update, the airline has found my suitcase and it’s currently on its way to me. (When it will get here, no one knows. That’s another lesson about India for another time.) And though I’m definitely excited to be reunited with my contact lenses and granola bars, I’m grateful I had to spend my first week in India without that big red bag with the brown ribbon.

Already I have found a daily hobby: instagramming! Follow @themodernstory for more!

Hello! Karis here. I write this from our living room table, sweating in the 80-degree heat (though it is well into the night), and mind buzzing with the events of the last week.

I had an uneventful (even – dare I say it – pleasant!) trip to Hyderabad. My 15-hour flight from Chicago to Abu Dhabi was mostly filled with sleep and catching up on movies. I was bumped to business class from Abu Dhabi to Hyderabad. Though my second flight was slightly delayed, Remy also ran into a delay (in which the cab driver ran out of gas on the highway and they had to push the car to a gas station in order to get it running again), so we met at the international arrival gate at the same time. Despite visa, luggage, and flight anxiety, it all worked out quite smoothly. I am very thankful, and also hoping this doesn’t mean my luck will turn and my next flight will be a disaster (knock on wood).

Thankfully the theme of this past week was also easing anxiety, namely about teaching, living in India, and our responsibilities as a TMS fellow. From welcome activities that immediately got our mental gears turning about our own cultural identity, to teaching methods boot camp, to discussing ways to encourage and evaluate creative confidence, I felt immediately immersed in the TMS mission of telling personal, community, and global stories through building self-confidence and technical skills. It is what initially drew me to the organization, and having the chance to actually see what that will look like over the next six months was truly thought provoking and inspiring. It has also been wonderful getting to know my co-fellows. We often remarked throughout the week that we all come from very different backgrounds and have very different strengths, but we meet at our love for education and storytelling. What a great thing to have in common!

That being said, this week really laid out the challenges that lie ahead. Navigating language barriers, organizing with administration, and a brand new culture is quite intimidating and I am certainly feeling the pressure. However, I also believe the most beautiful moments in life happen when you feel lost. I found those moments this week when we visited Railway Girls School, and had a chance to see the bright, smiling faces of our future students, and a centering night of community with local teachers, artists, and filmmakers at a Hyderabad community center (where I even ran into someone who previously lived in the same neighborhood that I did in Boston!)

Hyderabad can feel kaleidoscopic in its chaotic traffic, cultural diversity, and overflowing streets. I’m looking forward to finding more little windows into its soul through moments like the ones above in coming months.

In other words: I’m thrilled to be here. Stay tuned!