Two Weeks in India

I have a new lover named India.

He is rough around the edges and intimidating but so interesting and full of adventure. I don’t really know him yet but we have so much fun together! He is a horrifying driver but he takes me to the most beautiful places. He is so attractive in his chaos. He isn’t someone you can just “get” and I can tell even now that we could spend years together and he would still puzzle and surprise me. I feel like these last two weeks have been a love affair with a country. I’m not really sure what it is about this country, I can’t name it or describe it. I just love it. Clearly I’m a little bias because we just met but still I can just feel that this country and I are going to be very close. I can’t describe it really, but here are some pictures and a little bit about what I did.

            I flew into Bangalore with my university and got to see all of my friends from last semester plus Ariel and Jasmine two of my closest friends in the world. It was hard to leave everyone but after a day in the city I took off for Hampi, a town about nine hours South of Bangalore. I spent a little under a week there and it was perfect! It is a touristy area and for good reason. The town is right in the middle of all these ruins so you climb these huge bolder mounds and find ruins from the 14^th century. The part of Hampi that really struck me though was the landscape. It was stunning. It’s the middle of the desert so it’s all red rocks and boulders and just totally beautiful. There is also a river that runs through the town so it’s still sort of tropical, there are palm trees and rice patties. It’s exactly. Where. I. want. To. Live. I climbed and biked and bolder-ed every day. There was a big backpacker scene on the other side of the river but I stayed on the side with the temples and such. This was really great because I was close to everything and my hostel was full of fascinating people. I met so many great people from all over the world! Look below for a few photos!

 The landscape here was the best part- a desert with a river running through it. Great climbing.

 This temple has my heart totally and completely.

 An elephant I ran into getting the boat.

 I stayed just to the right of the huge temple.

 Climbed that.

 happiness.

            After Hampi I headed back to Bangalore. I was planning to visit the gang in the city for the day and then head south to Pondicherry in the south. I ended up traveling with my friend Sweta though and she had family connections with an ashram outside of Bangalore. I was going to just go and visit for the day but I ended up staying six days… ah well. It was another indescribable experience. I learned how to do some yoga from this spectacular little Indian guy who also loved Joan Baez and Bob Dylan and played music with me. I helped make Indian food and paint a library. I read and met a ton of people. It was perfect, I place to gather myself before running off on another adventure. They also had not one but TWO litters of kittens. My feline contact has been far to minimal over the last year so this was heaven! I am now totally aware that I need a cat in my life.

            I finally pulled myself away from the ashram and headed back into Bangalore where I spent about two days with all of the ladies that I love and miss so very much from Global. Oh and spent a ton of money buying Indian cloths and bangles on Commercial street, can’t forget that. By the time I get internet to post this I will be in Australia already and I am excited for the semester to come to say the least. The fact that I am in love with India does put a bit of a damper on it but there is no question in my mind that this is just the beginning for this country and I.

I am leaving with an open and light heart and I am excited for everything the future holds for me. Mostly though I am just grateful in the cheesiest way one can be grateful. Grateful for my university, my friends new and old, my father and mother, my extended family, Indian food, having enough money to eat, being able to go to school and see the world. I’m grateful for chai, kind strangers, hiking and the doors that open for me every day of my life. Grateful for every breath and every moment under our big, beautiful sun. And a shout out The Great White Tiger, Snoop Dogg, yoga, and Hello Kitty as well.

I’m back online, back in school in a few days, and chillen' in the Sydney airport until my flights stop getting canceled and I can get to Byron Bay.

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