As I sit on United Airline flight 83 from Delhi to Newark, I have begun to take more time to reflect on what I have learned from the past month. When the trip started I viewed leadership in a more external view than I do today. On May 1st leadership was largely focused on a relationship between someone and a peer or teammate but today I realize that good leadership starts with self-leadership.
One topic that consistently came up as I had the opportunity to reflect with different peers, guides and teachers throughout this trip was the importance of self-awareness. Leading others is only possible if you not only understand the goals and personalities of your group, but to do this you must understand your own psyche. The strongest act of leadership I saw on the trip involved a person who had a struggle with controlling their emotions during high stress moments, but actively sought out conversations for feedback and acknowledged that this was something they struggled with. This act of self-awareness not only helped the individual but also helped contextualize the struggle for the rest of us. On a 10 day trek when you have virtually no free or alone time and the potential for rain or hail at any moment, It is so important to have this dialogue proactively. Thankfully, I feel as though self-awareness has always been a strength of mine, but I know that I can always improve.
The trip to Agra was a highlight of my trip. Seeing the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort were interesting as I feel they highlight just how unique a country India is. As a history minor, I absolutely love to visit historical sights and try to place them in my mental timeline. So often I feel that history becomes fragmented by geography which takes away some of it’s beauty. During the tour I was shocked to hear that the Taj Mahal’s construction didn’t start until 1632, meaning that the Pilgrims, which I trace my oldest North American ancestor back to, were already in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Visiting the historical sites in Agra helped me contextualize India’s place in history. A highlight from Agra outside of the sights was when our fixer Vinny, grabbed the phone out of a teenager’s hand who was recording us without our permission at the Fort. At that point we had numerous people interrupt our tour and assertively ask for photos, so the group was relatively fed up.
14 hours into a 16-hour flight I am thinking about what I am going to miss the most from this month-long trip. Reverse culture shock is something I am prepared for but one thing that I am not sure how I will handle is not seeing the same faces I have each day for the last 30 days. I truly feel like the people are what made this trip for me, from my tentmates, trek mates, guides, and instructors, I truly could not have asked for a better group of individuals.