A lesson learnt in a stranger's land

After travelling for almost 15 hours, changing flights and hopping airports, we were finally  in Cheyenne – the capital city of Wyoming, United States. It is the interface between the Great Plains and the Mountain West. All along the way I found myself on crossroads of emotions. Unlike my usual self - someone who is always upbeat about any travel - this time I was a bit unsure. I didn’t fully understand the people and the city I was visiting. They were completely different from me. I felt like a complete stranger, something which I never felt when I landed in Hawai’i a month back. Although I was travelling as part of my mandatory course work, I was looking out for stories. I was in search of stories which built this intriguing town almost 150 years ago.  

A portrait of a native American India in Cheyenne

Cheyenne looked to me as a silent peaceful city. I hardly saw people on the roads in the afternoon we arrived. Everything in the city seemed to have its own story. The buildings, hotels and the statues around the corners stood tall to its long history. The spirit of the native Americans of Cheyenne – one of the indigenous peoples of the Great Plains was felt in every corner and artifacts in the city.

Our home for the next ten days was the ‘Historic Plains Hotel’ in the downtown of Cheyenne, on the corner of central and west Lincoln way.

The journey so far had been full of surprises – all good ones! From getting a free drink from a person who wanted to share his day’s success at the Hawaii airport, to getting a suite booked at the Historic Plains Hotel in Cheyenne to seeing a rainbow. Me along with my team mates were elated every time life threw us these surprises, all in a single day. We were happy and curious at the same time. The best part of our journey till now was that we connected very well with each other. While we were getting to know about the many undercurrents flowing within the other teams, our team was at peace.

 Although we had a long and tiring journey coming from Hawaii, we went around exploring the place after we checked-in to the hotel. Despite the city being quiet and peaceful, I sensed a feeling of insecurity. I didn’t know what it was. And while I was walking around exploring the city, there it was – on my face!

“Get out of our country”, said a woman, from her car, while we crossed the road.

I was surely startled. I live in one of the most diverse countries with people from diverse religions, castes and tribes. But never did I come across such a comment. I never realized I was a minority in this foreign land. I heard Americans were liberals. Although I was warned by a few that I was entering the heartland of the white Americans, I wasn’t ready for this. But I am sure, all locals of Cheyenne aren’t the same. For the first time ever, I felt like a minority. And it was definitely not pleasant. Wherever I lived till now, I was supposedly part of the ‘so-called’ majority groups, hence I never thought about the lives of the minorities. Maybe the daily struggle they have to undergo to live a respectable life is far more serious than what we anticipate. I will consider this incident to be a learning lesson of empathy This incident will help me to see their struggles within. Although the incident happened for only a few seconds, it will surely remain in my memory for long or forever.