Looking back at my first night in India, I’d arrived at my hotel a day before the Intrepid Tour started and was too scared to leave the room to venture out and explore by myself. Admittedly I was smack bang in the middle of one of the busiest old town market districts in Delhi, but I was disappointed in myself for not having the courage to get out there alone and waiting for the safety net of the tour group to arrive. Perhaps I was right in staying put, Delhi is known for its dodgy areas, but it would have been an adventure. Unbeknown to me until just recently, spending 3 months in India has already altered my preconceptions and boundaries immensely, making me braver, more open-minded, and preparing me for my days of travel in foreign lands ahead. I’ve relaxed a lot in my approach to travel. In all honesty, I must have been a spoilt princess before I came here! In many ways I’ve felt like a child on a steep learning curve:

1. Bedtime stories:

Then: On my first night in India, I was lucky enough to stay at a good mid-range hotel which I had pre-booked, probably the nicest hotel I’ve stayed at in all my time here in India, and the only time I pre-booked anything. Clean sheets, western toilet, wifi, room service etc. Despite this the culture shock was still huge, as was my fear of the unknown, and I remember getting ready for bed that first night. I rounded off the Skype call with my parents. I sprayed every inch of exposed skin with 100+ deet insect repellent. I checked under the bed for any spiders or lizards. The sheets looked clean, but you can never be sure, so out came the sleeping bag with inbuilt mosquito net. I stayed awake with eyes wide open for over 1 hour before I fell unconscious.

Now: I’ve learnt you can’t dodge the mosquitos – they’re everywhere and part of life here in India. If one gets too close, I can now squish it with the clap of my hands! But now I barely even acknowledge when I get bitten, hence (perhaps stupidly) I often forget to apply repellent. Also, the deet spray is out, and in is the natural herbal, environmentally friendly repellent which isn’t as strong, but doesn’t melt my flip-flops when I apply it to my feet. I haven’t used my sleeping bag with inbuilt mosquito net since that first night (in hindsight my most ridiculous purchase), preferring to use the thin sheets provided by the hotel or hostel. And aside from my encounter with the monster lizard in Goa, I don’t mind the little geckos sharing my room with me. I find them rather cute.

2. Overcoming the fear of food:

Then: When I first arrived in India, I was extremely careful with what I ate, which limited the food on offer to me. Everyone told me: you will get sick so watch out, so I opted to eat in “safe” restaurants filled with other tourists, thinking this was the only way to prevent getting sick. I did eat local food, I was just very picky about where I ate it.

Now: Street food is my most favourite discovery! It’s cheap, tasty, and a great insight to the local delicacies wherever you are. From trying deep fried samosas in Delhi, pani puri and vada pao in Mumbai, to chaat and idlii in Mysore, the varieties on offer are numerous and differ depending on what region you’re in. As long as the stall looks busy, and you check your food and any sauce is hot before eating, you should be fine. I haven’t been sick yet (touch wood).

3. Toilet-training:

(my apologies in advance if you’re slightly queasy or if you’re eating your dinner whilst reading this..!)

Then: In India you can come across two types of toilet facilities, the familiar “western toilet”, and the exotic but more common “Indian toilet”, which resembles a hole in the ground with ridged areas on the side to place your feet. Or you have the more unusual “hybrid toilets”, which are a slightly awkward looking combo of the two, comprising of a toilet seat raised off the ground on which you’re meant to stand. When I first got here I hunted down and opted for the western style whenever possible. In my mind this was the most hygienic option, and there were no mysteries involved. I knew how to do this one: sit down, do your business, flush and go. And I never went anywhere without my trusted toilet paper in my bag.

Now: In a slightly surprising statement, I now actually prefer Indian toilets over western ones. Yes really, and here’s why: they are much more hygienic. No dirty toilet seats in sight, just crouch and go. Aside from the initial confusion (which side to face, the wall or the door? Answer: the door of course), they are easy to use. Forget to bring my toilet paper? No problem, most Indian toilets come with an inbuilt mini shower attached to the side, to leave you squeaky-clean .

4. Talking to strangers:

Then: As a foreigner in any country where you stand out from the norm, you can expect to be approached by people curious as to where you’re from, what you’re doing here, how long you’re staying, and wanting to start a long conversation with you. At first I was really weary of this. Travelling solo I felt I had to keep my guards up at all times, especially when approached by men. I was worried the first time I took the Metro in Delhi as I’d heard the stories about “eve-teasing”. I would shy away from any conversation; I was really unused to being approached so often in public.

Now: Preconceived ideas about western women in India can lead to some people thinking you are game for anything, and yes it’s likely you will get groped on a busy bus or train at some point. But now I’ve started to think, If some dirty man gets off on groping me on public transport, so be it. Not much I can do about it and no real harm done, more an annoyance than anything else. And it’s the exception to the rule. Most people I’ve met and spoken to did not want anything from me, they just wanted to learn more about me, and it gave me the chance to learn about them. Isn’t that the whole point in travelling?

Finally, any preconceptions I may have had about Indian health care were extinguished when I had to rush myself to a dental surgery here in Mysore not too long ago. I was in agony with severe toothache, and the dentist took one look and said I had to get my upper-right wisdom tooth extracted. Great, I thought, but at least it will give me an insight to Indian healthcare. I was in again the next day, and after anesthetising me she pulled it out without me feeling a thing. I’ve always been a little apprehensive about dentists to say the least, so I was very relieved. And the damage? 200 rupees (£2.70), including initial consultation .