Street Style- Day 10

May 13th 2015, team Impact India successfully completes the "Amazing Race" Mumbai. Both literally and figuratively we all crossed the finish line. Endurance, determination, enthusiasm, will power, adrenaline, self-reflection and team-work were just some of the words running through my mind over the course of the last week and a half, and more recently, in the last two hours. The staff members spread themselves out throughout the city, team Impact India was divided into four teams, each team member bringing their own strengths and contributions, and the first clue was given. I assure you however, this was no ordinary race. Not even thinking about the 35 degree weather, the 75% humidity, and the crowd of Indians hovering around to take pictures with 'stars'. This race challenged us all at every one of the six stations; mentally, in our required reflections about our collective experience in Mumbai and questioned our own strategies for furthering old and learned ideas of Tikun Olamonce we return to our own homes. Physically, as each group pushed the other to move faster, think harder and sing louder. And lastly emotionally, as we thought about our individual potentials for change and progress both within and outside of our respective communities. For many of us here, this whole trip has been a race. A race towards something greater than ourselves, a race to make a small change with a big impact, a race against the ticking clock, a race for humanity, a race to do now, and think later, a race away from pre-conceived norms, human expectation, and self-propelled limitations, and of course for most, a constant race to the bathroom. Against some brutally hot circumstances, we closed out the night possibly with even more energy and drive than we started with, while we were temporarily divided, we still grew in our shared desires to take this trip, our new knowledge and enriched perspectives, and carry it forwards on our journeys to impact the world around us. I am confident in saying on behalf of everyone, Impact India 2015 truly has been an amazing race!

- Rebecca