Coffee.

It turns out, I might be addicted to the coffee shop scene.

I love that it's so chill. 

People can talk, and it's okay. 

You can chat with random strangers, and all is good.

You can stick your iPod in and journal, and that's okay too. 

And, come to find out, it's a universal scene. 

Granted, there aren't Starbucks on every corner.

But... there's a chain here called Cafe Coffee Day.

I found it today, and my heart jumped (maybe because of the caffeine).

Weird, but it's like a little home away from home. 

Typical Taxi. Welcome to my life.

First Impressions. 5 senses.

Touch.
Dirt. Grime. Naan. Stacks of fabric. Rupees.

Taste.
Rice. Curry. Spices. Chai. Dust.

Smell.
Fresh flowers in the market. Fart and gasoline. Diarrhea. Chai Tea. Incense. Train squatty. Intense BO.

See.
Color. Faces. Idols. Worship. Ganges River. Christmas lights. Fresh veggies. Creepy mannequins. Traffic.

Hear.
More car horns than I ever thought possible. Foreign languages. "T.K." (it means okay). Chants. Call to prayer. Eager market venders repeating the three English words they know over and over.

In transit.

Goodbyes.

Saying goodbye was a lot harder than I thought it would be. 


I have to admit, I've sobbed like a small child over and over the last couple days. Through all of the tears, I kept on thinking about what life might look like if it wasn't hard to leave home. What if I didn't have anyone to hold on tight and not want to let me go? What if I didn't have any friendships that were hard to leave? I realized that I wouldn't trade the tears for anything. I am so so blessed with a family that loves me unconditionally and friends that show me how to love authentically. 


I hope it's always hard to leave. All the people I befriend. In every chapter of life. 

Bidding farewell to material things isn't the hard part. Watch:

Goodbye house. 

Goodbye Sopapilla.

Goodbye big plate of cookie dough.

It's walking away from people I love, people so close to my heart, that hurts so bad. 

I'm learning how to drop my nets and follow Him with absolute abandon. (I'll probably be learning this my whole life)

some traveling 'musts'

 

I was planning to take pictures of all of the fun things I'm packing so I could share it with you guys, but it turns out, I'm good with just my passport, journal, and the Word. 

Oh, and water is pretty important. 

 

One week.

It turns out, one week from today I'll be headed to South Asia. This is my week of goodbyes and farewells. I'll try to document it for you. 

We got some family pictures made (yes, in matching t-shirts) in honor of Ruth's upcoming World Race. 

Some sweet friends came in from Nacogdoches (my Sarah came from Jackson, MS), and we hit up the beach for sunrise.

 

I love them dearly and didn't think that it would be so hard to say goodbye. 

I closed my old bank account and took out my life savings. $1.98 exactly. 

 

I got to spend some time with my beautiful sister. 

We had a little sister photo shoot. It was fun.   

We made some fun meals. 

 

Is she crying because I'm leaving? Nope. Onions. 

A Quick Ode to America (before I head out)

  

This is how we roll in India.

My ideal self would be a baller biker woman if necessary, but I've got a lot to learn from this guy...

Hopefully, I'll get to see this often when I get to India. It would definitely make life interesting. 

Prep Under My Belt.

I have....


1. Met a lot of South Asian people. Who are awesome.

2. Got the book Where There's No Doctor. Now I feel confident enough to give stitches and deliver a baby. I'd recommend it.

3. Opened a grown-up banking account.

4. Learned how to give a legit hair cut.

5. Watched some YouTube videos that helped me to dive into culture. =)

6. Learned a ton about myself. I'm an ESTJ.

7. Got my ESL certification.

8. Got my visa, baby.

9. Vaccinations. Enough said.

10. Read through the Lonely Planet book on India and Culture Shock: India, so now I won't have culture shock, right? 

11. How to blend in even if I'm using a travel/language guide. Thank you RealSimple. 

12. Learned why it's so important to learn language and NOT rely on a translator. 

Prepare. Me. For. Whatever.

There are some things I need to learn as I move around the world. Really. There are.

I need to learn...

- Language. Enough said. I want to know the heart language of my new neighbors and friends.

- Boldness. Confidence. Fearlessness.

- My role as a woman in a new, less liberating culture. Learning to look down, bow a little, and respond to instead of initiate communication with men.

- How to fit into a 'right handed culture.' The right hand is for all things clean (handling food, money, and most normal things). The left hand is for everything nasty (mostly a toilet paper replacement).

(I have clean hands for now, don't worry)

- How to cook some awesome curry.

- How to be a learner. Hardcore. I go in knowing just about zero about how to talk, walk, or even eat... and can learn from people of every age and background. Two-year-olds are my teachers.


And the list continues.

"Well, what do your friends think?"

I was getting my hair cut the other day and somehow the topic of me moving to India came up. (Probably because I said... "PLEASE PLEASE don't cut my hair in some funky style that needs a hair dryer, straightener, curler, or anything that you plug into the wall.")

Anyway, the lady cutting my hair hesitantly asked what my friends thought about me leaving for a few years to a place that's not exactly safe and fancy. I was SO thrilled to say that my friends have done nothing less than push me to follow Him with absolute abandon.

They make photo-shoots seem like a normal part of everyday life.

They never hesitate to call me out if my attitude sucks.

They listen. Even when I don't know what I'm talking about. 

Praying is never awkward or forced because it happens so often. 

Celebrating the 4th of July by chillin with Somalian refugees is WAY more exciting than sitting in a lawn chair watching fireworks. 

 

(Thank you Allie Brill for these sweet pictures that I stole from your facebook page)

They make me want to serve. Anyone. Everyone. A lot. All the time. 

They're real. Honest. Transparent.

It's normal to be nomadic. Teysha knows that real well. =)

They show me my strengths and push me to pursue my passions.

They make me feel beautiful. (Hats off to Sarah and Ashley for being my personal stylists.)

They laugh. Especially late at night, Sonn. haha.

They're constant. 

Encouraging. 

Strong.

They've taught me how to love. 

I get that we're scattered for a reason. I can't wait to see how their lives impact the nations. One annual reunion down, and probably about eighty to go. Bring it on. 

My Nephew.

It's crazy how family grows. New people literally pop into my life before I even know what happened. Sometimes they're blood related, and sometimes they're not.... in this case, he is. My nephew Jacob is the cutest little guy that I know.

Just saying.

Here's proof:

 

AAAANNNNNDDDDD guess what? We just found out that Daniel and Candas (my brother and sister-in-law) are expecting another baby boy in December. I can't wait to see his little face on Skype. 

Human Trafficking. Exposed.