Prepare for India (travel)

It's been a long time since I've had (travel) in my subject line. But, it's that time of year. I am leaving the comfort of home for all my backpack can bring. This time, it's not camping in a national park or visiting friends in the NE. I'm on my way to India. I cannot believe it.

I have been so busy over the past few weeks (months), I have not really given myself time to think about the fact that I am going to be in India for a month. I have read some books, attempted to figure out where monsoons will be doing the most damage, and am now a carrier of a live typhoid oral vaccine. But, really I should be doing more.

One of the difficulties is that I'm just not sure what I am getting myself into. Listening to Beatles, when they were into Ravi Shankar, is just not doing the trick.

On the last day of school, one of my students wrote, "It [is] the last day of June. Two more days [and] then everybody is going to a different country." He wrote it in his first grade invented spelling method; but, it was amazingly insightful. It is possible I might see one of my students in India (she leaves Tuesday and I leave Thursday). I told her to look for me.


It's moments like that when I think I should not allow myself to be nervous about my trip. I could see my 6 year old student there.

So many people talk about India in hyperbole. They say they are not ready for India. I really did not think much about being ready or not ready for India. I am excited to see the place my students are from. I am excited to learn about 1000 year old temples. I'm happy I might be able to take an elephant ride through a National Park (if the rains are not too bad). I'm excited for a place that will force me to stop thinking about teaching on a never-ending loop. I'm happy to spend time with my friends. But, really, I have no idea about my next month. I will try to blog; share what I am seeing and experiencing. I will try....