What does vacationing mean?

Does it mean roaming around in beaches, parks, tourist spots? Does it mean staying in a hotel, a posh lifestyle? Does it mean eating at others' expense, eating lavishly everyday? Does it mean feeling proud at being Indians in a foreign land? Does it mean trying out everything everywhere just for the sake of it? Does it mean relaxing 24x7 with nothing to do?

Well, this was my impression of a vacation before coming for this internship. I always wished to do good work in my project here, and vacationing never crossed my thoughts. But luckily for me I have a good project partner in Sylvia (unlike the horrible partners I had for my EDL last sem), and I don't have to take up the entire responsibility of the project on my shoulders. Besides, Prof. Apsel is also quite chill with my work and seems quite pleased... so again there is no concern about having something to prove to the prof. As such, here I am, finding myself with enough time for vacationing in the beautiful land of Ithaca.

Maybe it was because I wasn't prepared for such a vacation, or maybe that I had never been on such a type before, but I found most of my preconceptions about vacationing to be wrong. Vacations don't necessarily mean visiting famous tourist spots and claiming to have enjoyed the sights. In fact, the simplest of places like the big red barn, the clock tower, college town, Beebe lake, Cornell plantations offer such wonderful sights, I no longer desire to visit NYC, but rather stay here itself and absorb in the serenity of this paradise. Vacationing also doesn't mean traveling only with people you know or staying up in hotels or the like. There's more fun getting to know new people and living life their way, as I am enjoying here with Krishna, Suresh and Vivek. There is nothing special about being an Indian - rather spending time with people from other cultures teaches you to respect all cultures and reflect on your own in the light of such experiences. Also, it doesn't always mean keeping oneself aloof all responsibilities and indulging in laziness - blessed are you if you can experience true delight in your work.