20 YEARS LATER AND INDIA FINALLY!!!!!

December 28, 2011

Landing in India was surreal.  Suri’s wife had me write my name on her hand because she wanted to remember me. 

So I basically landed sharing that experience and a burst of happiness when we hit the ground.  I feel ALIVE and all my senses are fully intact.  I have wanted to go to India for the past 20 years so again this is an incredible feeling.

I called my cousin in complete an utter excitement and he gives me directions to take a bus. Bus?  For my whole trip in Malaysia, I was picked up by couch surfers, but my own cousin cannot pick me up my first time in India? I decided to step down from my diva post and put things in perspective.  My cousin was preparing for a wedding in a few days and then leaving the country so I just let it go. 

I walked out and there were all the adorable Indians with signs and smiles for their significant others, friends, and family.  I could not have expected my family to be there.  Some I have never met and most I have only seen once in my life.  The royal red carpet was not going to be pulled out for PRIS on this occasion and it was definitely not expected. 

The most beautiful sunset was occurring in front of my eyes.  I really enjoyed that the taxis were not pushy and they let me proceed to the bus.  It smells like India on the bus ha! What does India smell like? I cannot describe it, but it is a combination of perfume with my grandma’s house, with a kick of tandoori chicken ha!

I stop at the bus stand and chat with some locals about buying a motor bike.  The man lets me use his phone to call my cousin.  My cousin finally makes it there and apologizes for the whole thing.  He is such a sweet heart and I know his apology to me is sincere.  It is already 8:30 and I head to his house-an old Ancestry home where my Grandma and Grandpa once lived with my cousin, his two sisters, and his mother and father.  His father who passed away was the brother of my father.  Therefore, Adel  and I are first cousins.  It was a nice meeting my female cousin, Adel’s sister, her two adorable girls, and her husband.  I headed to bed early after many introductions and a big day ahead tomorrow-the 11 month ceremony for my Grandmother passing away last year.