After:
I barely recognized my house upon arrival...the baby sunflowers I had left behind are now towering over me! What a beautiful sight to come home to on a cloudless, sunny Berkeley day.
After about 30 hours of traveling, 3 movies and 1 & 2/3 books later...I was back at 2126 Bonar Street. Thank Buddha! :)
I took a nice long shower, opened my mail and put my laptop back together (I learned the hard way last time I went to India not to leave the battery on without being around- it kills it!), quickly checked my email, made dinner plans with Kate & Sean and then went to bed! It was about 1 p.m. and I was only going to lay down for an hour or two but woke up to my phone ringing at 6:45 p.m. Whoops.... I threw my clothes on and headed out for an amazing vegan Japanese dinner (at Cha Ya- one of my faves!) followed by dessert at Cafe Gratitude (hello homemade "ice cream" made from nut pulp...I have missed you!)
Karma would inevitably make fun of me for not only being so excited about food, but for writing publicly about it to my friends. He is so tickled by my fascination (obsession?) with food. He has NO idea. LOL
Being back (and jetlagged) has left me a little emotional...a mix of excitement and sadness. I'd say there is more excitement than sadness- I'm SO glad to be back in the comforts of my home (hello bed- you are great!) and be able to reconnect with my amazing friends and family here in the States. Being disconnected (for the most part) for 5 weeks (6 if you include my trip home to VA) was a nice break, but I have to say I LOVE being connected. I am a social gal! Being with Karma and no one else was fun and satisfying, but I know for sure that I will NOT be one of those married women that secludes herself from her friends once she gets hitched. The diversity of life and the people you meet in it make it the complex and rich adventure that it is. What an amazing blessing.
I'm uploading the 400+ photos that I took and will edit/label them for your viewing (pleasure?). I'll post the link on here when I'm done! I hope I have (at least slightly) captured the beauty that India holds and the radiance & joy that Karma does as well. His laughter is absolutely infectious and I feel so grateful to have a partner with such a balanced view on life. I know that he will bring me so much happiness in this life and I hope I can do the same in return. It is our sincere wish to make this world a better place and to spread compassion & love to others as a team...a very tall one at that!
A few things I love & will miss about India:
Karma (duh)
Speaking Tibetan every day (esp. to strangers)
Sunsets
Temple visits (both Buddhist and Hindu)
Early morning bhajan sounds (the Hindu prayer songs)
Fresh mangos (50 cents a bag people!)
(Good) Street Samosas
Colorful....everything!
Local Bus rides (NOT)
Giggling young Indians (do I really look that strange?)
The smell of Indian men (serious guilty pleasure here...love that cheap cologne and hair oil...)
Insanity that makes senseless sense
Kaka-ji (our New Delhi taxi driver)
Cheap shopping (sorry to the women & children that make this possible)
Cows!
The energy that Mother India holds in her every breath
Oh...and this:
xo
C
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