This #TBT post is thanks to Sarah Klein, a student at Grove City College and an ISA Summer 2015 Featured Photo Blogger. She participated on an international service-learning program with ISA Service-Learning in Mumbai, India in the summer of 2015.

Mumbai, India receives 85 inches of rain on average between the months of June and September annually, a period of time known as monsoon season. Hailing from a significantly dryer western part of the United States, I was looking forward to experiencing this season in India. However, I could not begin to anticipate the sheer volume of water dispersed in such a short amount of time, as well as the unbelievable amount of humidity and the massive rivers and pools that fill the roads.

For many in Mumbai, this rainy season is a joyful time. Countless children across the city form giggling throngs, splashing in troughs of water, washing their hair in the downpour, and generally having a wonderful, wet time. The entire city cools down from the stifling 90 degree temperatures of the previous weeks and the city’s youngest inhabitants rejoice.

It’s been a beautiful experience to see the purity brought by such an abundant downpour, and while it may be inconvenient at times, I’m thankful for this opportunity to splash in the puddles.

The world awaits…discover it.