In India, I grew up hearing the saying,

“Everything will be all right in the end. So if it is not all right, it is not yet the end.”

This ancient wisdom recently came back to me during some unexpected challenges in November 2024, hitting me with the force of revelation. It reminded me that challenges are merely waypoints on our journey, not the destination.
At Arise Villages (AV), December 2024 marked a significant milestone as we welcomed our first group of Norwegian guests. This was a blessing in countless ways and represented an exciting step forward for our program. While both we and our guests weren’t quite sure what to expect, we embraced each day’s adventures together, learning and growing from every experience.
New Year’s Eve in rural India offers a striking contrast to Western celebrations. While cities across Europe and urban India burst with festivities, our village maintains its tranquil character. Here, the landscape is wrapped in serene darkness, interrupted only by occasional truck horns and the soft glow of scattered Christmas lights.
This year, we created our own celebration, lighting candles across our campus and launching fireworks from our rooftop – perhaps the most spectacular display our village has ever seen!
The beauty of our village lies in its preservation of traditions. While many villagers have smartphones and internet access, connecting them to the global community, they maintain customs that have remained unchanged for generations. Most locals still prefer to greet the New Year with dawn rather than midnight celebrations – a practice I remember from my own childhood, when entire neighborhoods would come together on New Year’s morning to exchange greetings.
This blend of traditional wisdom and modern connectivity creates a unique environment for cultural exchange. At Arise Villages, we’ve created a space where these worlds meet, offering visitors a chance to experience authentic rural Indian life while maintaining comfortable connections to home.
As we enter 2025, I invite you to carry your own light of curiosity and openness on a journey to our corner of India. At Arise Villages, you’ll find more than just a cultural immersion program – you’ll discover a community ready to share its traditions, wisdom, and daily life with those eager to learn. Whether you’re interested in sustainable living, traditional practices, or simply experiencing a way of life vastly different from your own, our doors are open to those seeking authentic cultural exchange.