During a previous trip to India, I had the opportunity to explore ten different cities throughout Northern India. New Delhi was my introduction to the country, and was the most similar to my perceived notion of the country: loud, noisy, crowded, and expanding.

Riding through the central marketplace was a sensory overload with a web of wires crisscrossing overhead and a clogged roadway with wagons, bikes, carts, cars, and every other imaginable vehicle jostling for prime space.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the abundance of parks and temples providing a calming respite from the city’s nonstop movement.

As I wandered through, I realized that many of the locals were taking my photo. Even in a city as international as New Delhi, my light colored skin drew attention.

Locals happy with the day's purchases stroll through one of Delhi's many markets. An American Girl In Transit