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| Temple woodwork like clockwork: hand carved, one petal at a time |
It's weird the way time works. Time is a man-made construct that reconciles our comprehension of the world into tiny, measurable units. Over time, consistency is key (technically), though experientially, time moves at warp speed when life is busy, and putters around like that lonely neighbor when you are counting down the minutes.
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| On the way to visit Ganapati we made some some friends |
That's the thing about time: it's there when you want it, it's gone when you don't. Thus I am left with five days in India, time moving at a pace that is no longer catchable as I try to pack, meet up with friends, say goodbyes, close up shop, and prepare for the future that is nigh across the globe and 8,792 miles!
India has been incredibly good to me. In two years I have made lasting friendships, learned to relish and crave a regionally-varied cuisine, and traveled to places I never thought I'd go to that were childhood dreams...
Two years ago, I had never visited Asia.
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| Bustling Streets, Spirits High: Celebrating the Remover of Obstacles, a million at a go |
In India, I was able to see, smell, and experience the delights of
New Delhi, Goa, Kerala, Kolhapur, Gujarat, Varanasi, and the Maharashtra mountains.
And of course I will never forget living in 'the Beverly Hills' of Mumbai, walking the streets of Old Bombay, haggling with vendors and chatting with chai wallas, and meeting an incredible group of girls from the working slum of Dharavi. I even did a 12-day silent meditation retreat with rural Indian farmers and 35 good-hearted women, sleeping on lightly-padded concrete in a room with a friendly rat. And in all honesty, it was wonderful, and I would do it again in a heartbeat, rat and all (okay, maybe without the rat for next time!).
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| A Cosmic Dance through Time |
It's been quite the adventure and I am a better person for it. Or, at least, I hope I am. I wake up every day realizing how incredibly lucky we are and what a privileged life we lead. I feel like the more I see of India, the more I learn that I have barely scratched the surface. Getting to live in the world and see it from multiple vantage points has made me a more grounded person. It's made me appreciate home more, even as I revel at the amazing cultural frames that have produced entire civilizations, built empires, encouraged wars, fostered alliances, expanded economies, and created entirely new religions that have both globalized and localized to match social change and environmental variance. Ah, life!
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| Fruits, Flowers, Veg: Fresh to Eat, Admire, and Enjoy |
Five more days in India, then it's off to New Adventures.
I'm sad to say goodbye, but at least the future is bright.
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| Goodbye, friend. |
