The Beginning of My India Adventure - Brooke Larsen

After 44 hours of plane rides, a night train, and a beautiful car ride through the Himalayas, we reached the NHPC in Chamba where we’re currently living and working with the beautiful and smart girls.

Today is the second day we’ve worked with the girls and it’s so exciting to get to know each one of them and see their personalities more and more as they become more confident and comfortable around us. Currently we are working with about 7 girls because not all of them were at the ashram when we arrived and the rainstorms have prevented them from coming on time but hopefully the rest will make it soon. But it is nice to get to know a few girls really well. I love dancing and playing with the girls, and watching Warren teach his education workshop with so much enthusiasm and mess up every girl’s name, nothing makes me smile and laugh more.


Chamba is beautiful, so green and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. People ask me if I like Chamba or West Bengal better but there’s really no way to compare them. They’re so different and beautiful and dream like in their own way. The only thing that has not been so beautiful so far are the cockroaches hanging out in my Indian style toilet, which don’t seem to be infesting anyone else’s bathroom so I’ve just started using other room’s bathrooms. I guess they’re not as harmful as scabies and the huge spiders in West Bengal!

I’m excited for later today when we get to go into town and the girls get to pick out their fabric for the bags Jake and I will be teaching them how to make. They’ll probably all know how to sew already and it will probably make me and Jake look like idiots, however, it will make our job a lot easier! I think we’re getting measured for outfits too, so mom I will get one made for you since I don’t need one anymore! And mom and dad: we’ll probably have internet tomorrow, so I will email you then. Sorry I have not contacted you yet, we don’t have internet, so please don’t worry! I’m doing great!

Brooke Larsen