Some signs so far. =)

Here we go again.

Transition is becoming the new norm. 

Home is where the heart is, right? haha. Over-spiritualization. I'm learning that my earthly home is wherever my head hits the pillow.

These are a few things that help me to feel 'settled.'

- knowing where the bathroom is. 

- spreading out my little teal blanket over my bed. 

- taping a few pictures to the wall. 

- looking out the nearest window and taking a deep breath. 

- going for a stroll around the neighborhood. 

Tomorrow, I'll be headed to my new home on the other side of this sweet country. 

To learn a language I've never heard. To live with people I've never met. To know my Father in a way I can't imagine. 

Lists. And diarrhea.

I love lists.

So I'm going to share some with you.

The only list I've got right now is a little disgusting, but it's a reality here, so just bare with me.

Nicknames for diarrhea:

Hoobastank.
Pudding Poop.
The Squirts.
The McNasties.
The Runs.
Delhi Belly.
Bloatation.
Projectiles.
The Trotskies.
Fart Fog. (personal favorite)
Explosives.
Backdoor Trots.
Salad Shooter.
Montezuma's Revenge.
Anal Leakage.
Wrong-Way Vomit.
Colon Blow.
Whistlebelly Thumps.
Poop Soup.
Butt Nuggets.
Willies.

I'd like to give a shout out to all my friends on this side of the waters that helped compile this sweet list. If you've got any to add, just send 'em my way.

Walk with me.

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.