Being in India for the first time is quite an experience. I keep taking pictures, excited to share some of the experience with friends and family. The noises of the city will be most difficult to share with people back home. I don't think a recording could ever do it justice-- the noise of the traffic, constant horns honking and voices of the people in the street and on the sidewalks. The city has an energy that is unlike anything I have previously experienced, and perhaps is unique to a city with 15 million people. Each person we've seen seems to be engaged in their day-- whether they are sitting over a fire, riding a bike, or enjoying a bite to eat with friends. People that we've passed are friendly and welcoming and certainly curious about us.

We had our first site visit today to the Rural Health Foundation of India, and I was impressed by the energy of the people we met with. Instead of being overwhelmed at the prospect of getting universal health insurance to an incredibly large and underserved population, they seemed excited by the challenge and excited to share with us their approach to meeting that challenge. I was particularly impressed by the long range view of health care India that they have. It will be exciting to watch the integration of modern technology with health care access in India, and to see the effect their developments will have on the rest of the world. I am excited for the rest of the trip, and the ideas that we'll hear from each of the upcoming sites. It's amazing how a two hour discussion can be incredibly energizing, and bring to light so many ways to improve the future of health care.