I never thought I'd find another family away from my own family in a different country, a different land. We all would never forget that experience....as echoed in many an email from Long Beach, CA to Ahmedabad, India. The effect on many of us volunteers was instrumental to our own growth as lovers of life, of hope, of individuality and connection.
Sitting in a fast food "Natraj Tandoori" restaurant in Southern California. Despite the take out surroundings and Orange tables, booths for families in this middle of a shopping complex, there is still the music in the background (Indian music) and some of the atmosphere and this takes me back to December of 2004. On an adventure..another one after traveling to South Africa with my spirited, humanitarian friends. Why India?
I had this time off around Christmas from the school I work in. It was something incredibly palpable to me..I could already smell the spices in the air, the sweat, the grime, and the flavorful Indian cuisine. My coworkers didn't really understand where I was coming from.
"Why don't you just go to Hawaii?" they asked. "India? Isn't it dangerous there right now?"
I did my research and asked the trip organizers a million and one questions. I finally felt really safe in some sense of the word. i felt right in my heart and it felt not in my best interest to stay home!
As a group, we met fro discussions on what to expect when travelling to a place such as India. We listened to Indian music, learned some Hindu words and learned more about how far Agra was to New Delhi and to Ahmedabad. Soon enough, we were on our way! Somehow the money came through for me to go: a combination of donations, mileage checks and other income. We left from LAX and one of our stops was Taipei, Taiwan and then we stopped in Kuala Lumpur. Some of my fellow travelling companions went to see the Pedronas Towers. i was so sweaty...clothes sticking to my skin. I showered and rested in my hotel room and then met a few friends for a meal. It felt like we were in a different universe. It was quiet and tropical and then it was back to the airport. Next stop....India!!
