Logan Bennett was finished high school and eager to explore the world when he set off on a yearlong trip to Valsad, India as part of the Squamish Rotary Club long-term exchange program.
Bennett, who had just graduated from Howe Sound Secondary, was one of two selected for this year's Rotary exchange student program. He arrived July 19 and will be staying with three or four host families throughout the year.
At 18 years of age, Bennett decided to voluntarily return to high school for want of experience.
"I am using this year to explore the world. I left my home, my family and everything I knew to enrich my experience of life," said Bennett.
Valsad is a city with 170,000 people in the state of Gujarat on the northern west coast of India. Gujarati and Marathi are the two main languages but Bennett is studying in an English school, which he said makes things easier.
He is attending school six days a week in an Indian Grade 11 commerce program, and said he is indeed exploring vastly different surroundings.
After four months living in Valsad, Bennett is settling in well to his daily routine, despite some fairly dramatic lifestyle changes.
"Although the no utensils at the dinning table and no meat have been a few changes," he said. "I have lost a scary amount of weight because of the change in diet."
Bennett said he never thought he would become a vegetarian, but meat is never eaten in his host's house and he doesn't have many opportunities to eat out.
"Life here is much different from our North American lifestyle," he said. "The weather is hot and humid and the food is spicy. School is very strict compared to the relaxed schooling I am used to - uniforms, school on Saturdays and 70 to 120 students in each class are some of the things I had to get used to."
He has already participated in several Rotary activities, such as attending weekly meetings geared at contributing locally and increasing understanding of Indian culture, and handing out raincoats at a government school.
"Government schools in India are only supported by the governemnt and are not given any other money," he said. "They do not accept any enrolment fees which makes the school very poor because the government does not have a lot of money to hand out."
Exploring is foremost on Bennett's mind and since his arrival he has travelled a fair amount. He visited Gugarat's capital, Gandhinajai, staying in the same hotel Gandhi stayed in during his freedom walk.
He also ventured further north to the Sun Temple where the largest diamond in the world was once kept.
The Rotary Club also has three trips planned for Bennett - to southern India in November, northern India in January and to a district conference in the state of Gujarat.
Bennett said he is also keen to visit the bustling city of Bombay, only three hours south of his new hometown.
Most of his travels so far have been by train, local style.
"The most popular method of travelling is by train," he said. "Most of the trains are packed to the rim. You can book ahead of time but I prefer to be with the people and see how they travel, it is much more interesting."
He is also planning to join yoga, learn to play Indian drums, and hopefully join some sports teams.
Bennett returns to Canada in June 2011 and is planning to attend university to study political sciences.
"During my further education I would also like to continue to travel the world because it is a very strong passion of mine," he said. "I would also like to continue on with Rotary because I think it is an amazing organization."
