January, 2010
Ishwinder Kaur, 23, hails from New Delhi, India. She is currently training in Chicago in the field of business research and administration. She feels welcome in the US, and affectionately refers to Chicago as “a city of cold winds and warm hearts." Ishwinder has adjusted well to life in Chicago, a very different place from her home city of New Delhi. Everything from work culture to food to the style of dress has been a new experience. “The biggest difference is the weather.” Ishwinder said “I never saw snow or ice in New Delhi except for in my refrigerator.”
In order to make the most of her time in the US, Ishwinder prepared an extensive list of places that she wanted to visit. Her list included everything from big cities like New York and Los Angeles to natural wonders like Niagra Falls and the Smokey Mountains. So far she has been successful in visiting many of these places. “But,” Ishwinder shared, “the place that left me in complete awe was the Grand Canyon. It is heaven on earth, a place completely out of this world.”
Through her travels, Ishwinder has experienced a side of the United States that the rest of the world doesn’t normally get to see. “Contrary to my belief, America is a multi-cultural and multi-faceted society. Every region has different history, lifestyle and food and I experienced that first hand through my travels. Louisiana was particularly fascinating in this regard.”
Before she completes her training, Ishwinder has a few more places to see and is also excited about being involved in the Chicago comedy group The Second City. She loves this group in particular for the history, fun and laughter associated with it. It is also a great opportunity for her to make additional friends before she goes home.
Ishwinder will take many wonderful memories with her from her time in the United States because she took the opportunity to really get to know the country and its people. “My American experience would have been incomplete and partial without the things I did outside of my training. Communicating with people has truly been the highlight of my stay in the United States.”
Would you like to be featured as our next Exchange Visitor of the Month? Let us know what you are doing! Send us an email with your story and a picture to [email protected] [1].