Disclaimer: I arrived in Delhi on the night of August 25th. Since then things have been hectic. Lots of heat and humidity and very little internet. I will add another post this weekend….

On the morning of September 28^th 2010 I couldn’t sleep. I know I couldn’t sleep because I can never sleep the night before a trip. I was about to set off on the biggest adventure of my life so far: 4 months in on a ranch in Mexico[1]. Wearing some old jeans and my Grandpa’s flannel (which my mom had brought me back from Washington after his passing the week before,) and holding a Cormac McCarthy book, I set off for a cowboy fantasy. That day parallels today in many ways. A romance with adventure remains. An excited anxiety persists.

Yet, my life today could not be more different than it was in 2010. When I left for Mexico I left very little baggage. I was a cowboy; cowboys have no baggage[2]. It was a time of introspection, of consumption really. I may have been working but I was there for myself and myself only. Today I feel much more vested in what I’m leaving behind. My place in the CMC community, my connection with my family, and a great relationship that will turn two in December- all of these things keep my life fulfilling and awesome but are also on my mind wherever I go. But, in part from what I have learned from these things, I also feel much more prepared to contribute. I feel more grounded in my self, in my life, and in my interests. I have also gone on several other adventures- some of them closer to home than others, but all challenging and enlightening.

Once again, I am excited to be a student in a foreign culture; To consume the mysticism, and ‘psychedelic chaos’[3] of India. Once I arrive in Delhi, jetlagged, toppling from the odd sensation of being transported from one world to another in less than a day, I will be meet the other students in my group, the faculty who will guide my time in Jaipur, and the family I will be living with. I’m sure all of this will be a flurry. I’m sure this craziness won’t end until I step foot on the plane in 4 months. And I’m sure, just like my time in Mexico, my time there will be drastically different from anything I could have ever imagined- exciting, fulfilling, and challenging too. My goal is to maintain the same sense of adventure, of curiosity, of childlike amazement that brought me and my cowboy boots[4] to Mexico. Except this time, thanks to the experiences and friends I have added to my life in the last 4 years, and those who have persisted to support me and inspire me, I’m bringing a lot more knowledge, purpose, and inspiration. I only hope I can communicate all those things on this elaborate, professionally designed[5] blog!

To be continued….