This post describes my experience on the 2010 McCombs Global Connections trip to India.
My brother was kind enough to volunteer to watch my dogs while I am in India, so my trip began with a drive from Austin to Dallas. Because I spent Friday morning submitting a writing assignment and the afternoon packing, I arrived at my brother’s apartment in Dallas later than expected. We still had time to get my dogs settled and enjoy a nice visit.
On Saturday morning, my brother dropped me off at DFW to begin the long trip to India. Like many of my classmates, I flew on American with a stop in Chicago. I had a four hour layover in Chicago, where the excitement of the trip finally hit me. Because the MBA program administers midterms the week before the global trips, exam prep sometimes gets in the way of truly preparing for the trip.
I tried to stay awake for most of the flight from ORD to Delhi in order to minimize jet lag. When we arrived in Delhi my feet were swollen and I was ready for a shower. The international terminal in Delhi is a bit shabby, but this is explained by the fact that work on the new international terminal is nearly complete. Customs/immigration officers were rather stern, but I noticed that Indian people greeted their arriving friends and family with a warmth that we did not see on last year’s arrival in Shanghai (my posts from last year’s Global Trip to China can be found here).
Most of the group arrived on the same flight, so we took a bus transfer to the hotel. I was so happy to see that the air quality was better than what I had experienced in China (where I developed a nasty cough that lasted for weeks after the trip). One of my first surprises was the security at the hotel. Our hand luggage was x-rayed and we each passed through a metal detector before entering the lobby. We then received a warm welcome including a flower lei (which I assume has an Indian name that I do not know) and chai.
Because we arrived late at night, it was time to head to our rooms and catch some sleep before beginning our trip in earnest. Some of our classmates arrived at the hotel in the wee hours of the morning from Dubai, where they had spent a few days before the group portion of the trip began. It was a great idea on their part and if I hadn’t had assignments due on Friday I would have loved to do the same!
Read the full article: India: Getting There (March 5-7, 2010)