30 things to do before I turn 30 [an ongoing list].

I have been discussing with a lot of friends recently that I want to make a list of 30 things I want to do before I turn 30 next year. It's not necessarily a "bucket list", and it doesn't have to be full of big adventures; rather, it's a compilation of various things, both big and small, that I want to do before next July 1 rolls around.

My list is still in the process of being completed, but I figured it was probably time to finally start writing down what I have so far. I am open to [realistic] suggestions of things to add, should any of you have any. And no, getting married is not on the list. So don't even think about suggesting it.

And here we go.

1. Go bungee jumping.
2. Go sky-diving.
3. Spend one week on my own in Honey Valley, cut off from the world and from all of my electronic gadgets.
4. Do a wine tour [preferably in California, but due to logistical constraints, improvisations may have to be made].
5. Complete my Master of Public Service degree.
6. Run a half marathon.
7. Explore a new part of India.

So as you can see, my list still leaves a lot to be desired. Mostly because Shonali seems to think running off and joining the circus is a realistic suggestion. So please help me fill in the rest of my list so that I do not have to do that. I'm not quite sure what the Indian circus is like...

Here's to some interesting new adventures in the next eleven-and-a-half months.

xx

back to the world of blogging?

Hello again, world! It's been quite a while since we've seen each other. June brought both a self-imposed and logistically-imposed break from the blogging world, and I think it was much needed all around.

June was quite the hectic month, from arriving in Bangalore, catching up with everyone, showing my brother around, visiting family in Coimbatore, a quick visit to Coorg to recharge the batteries, lots of time spent with the Peanut, Boss' birthday pub crawl, and finally Amai's birthday party to close out the month and ring in my own birthday.

Just after that, the brother and I headed up to Surat to spend a few days with our masi. It was a nice, relaxing week, and on the way back, I took advantage of an 8-hour layover in Bombay to visit with two of the staff of kranti, an awesome organization working with the daughters of street workers. From there I met our dear lost boy, Uday, for a quick lunch before heading back to the airport to commence my waiting. and waiting. and waiting. Seems I can never make it back out of the Bombay airport on time, and my flight that was scheduled to take off at 5.30pm finally took off at approximately 7.10pm.

I reached Bangalore around 8.40, grabbed my bag, found a bus, and settled in for a long ride to Indiranagar. I finally reached around 10.10pm and then caught a rickshaw, reaching Eslyn, Elvis, and Eric's house around 10.30, just in time to grab some dinner at the end of Elvis' roce ceremony. Saturday was Elvis' wedding, so there was a lot of running around to be done to make sure everything was in place for both the mass and the reception.

And in the wake of all of those happenings, the last two days have been spent trying to make sense of my life again. I've been finishing further amendments to my IRB submission, responding to quite a lot of emails, trying to catch up on everyone's blogs, trying to figure out the logistics - and feasibility - of living in Bombay for 3 months if this project works out, booking my tickets for Delhi and Kathmandu, working on a few things for Room to Read, and generally trying to sort out my life. It seems I've been trying to do that quite a lot in the past few months, and every week brings new changes to be included.

For the time being, it seems as though I have returned to the world of blogging. Pictures from the last month and a half will be posted one day soon, as will further updates as I continue to sort out a few things.

It's nice to be back.
xx

what a difference a year makes.

The onset of my birthday week has brought on an onslaught of memories from this week last year, my last in Bangalore before heading back to the States. At this time last year, I had wrapped up all of my Peace Child duties and was trying my best to pack four years of my life into two bags to carry back with me. In between there were lunches and dinners with various people, errands to run, and quality time to be spent with the Peanut.

It's crazy to think about how much has changed in the time between then and now. I moved back to the States, completed a year of grad school, had some ups and downs in between, and now I find myself back in Bangalore, ready to ring in another year of Veena with my favourite Devaraj family. So much has changed, but so much is also the same. I have changed, without even realizing it. My city has changed, and we are slowly figuring out how our changes can complement each other. My friends have changed, but the beauty of friendships is that you can each change and still be exactly the same when you are together.

Last year my birthday also brought a lot of uncertainty about what the future would hold for me, and this year, the uncertainties are even more. I am slowly figuring out what I need to do for myself before doing for others, but it's going to take some time yet before progress is made. The next two weeks are going to bring some potentially big changes, both personally and professionally, and are going to test my strength, but I'm ready for whatever comes my way.

So here we go, 29, let's see where this next year takes us.
xx

radio silence.

It's been a whirlwind since returning to India, and I've had so many things to write about that I've just not known where to begin, so I've not written anything. Good logic, don't you think?

We began with 6 crazy days in Bangalore, filled with lots of laughter, quite a bit of rum, and a few tears thrown in for good measure. My brother had a blast meeting my Bangalore peeps, and he and the Peanut quickly became best friends. It's so crazy how much she's changed in the last 11 months; she's now walking and talking and forming sentences, and she's somehow morphed into such a little person. I could gush for days about how she's the smartest child to ever happen to the world, but I shall spare you. For now.

From here we went to Coimbatore to say hi to the family. I stuck around for 6 days and hung out with my cousins before abandoning my brother there and running back to Bangalore. Then I spent the weekend in Coorg with Shonali and Sanjeev doing nothing but reading on our porch and playing in the rain. It was exactly what I needed to re-settle my system.

And this week I have been shacking with Amai and Nilah while Kishore has been out of town. It's been nice to slum around Chamarajpet again, even if for just a few days.

So that is pretty much the last 3 weeks in a nutshell. In between I have been working on IRB approval, contacting potential Capstone organizations, and a few things for Room to Read. I won't lie, it's been difficult to motivate myself to do work when there are children to play with and restaurants and pubs to visit and naps to tak and other general distractions. But I'm slowly getting it done.

Next on the horizon: Amai's birthday pub crawl; Amai's and my birthday party; a few days in Surat to visit Masi; a few days in Goa with my favourites Maggie and Mitchell; possibly joining the Fettes group to Mahaballipuram.

I really just need to figure out how to get paid to be on holiday for the rest of my life. Suggestions?
xx

my classmates are taking over the world.

My classmates are currently spread all over the world, working on awesome projects with some great organizations. There are links on the sidebar for those who are blogging about their adventures, if you are interested in reading about their capers. As my project does not begin until the end of July, you have some time yet to wait before being able to read about mine.

My dear sweet Maggie is working with Heifer International's India office in Delhi and has just had an entry published on their blog about her arrival in India. She will be posting entries each week [I think] about her time with their office, so be sure to check back to read more of her insights.

What can I say, my classmates are rockstars.
xx

a bundle of nerves, anxiety, and excitement, all rolled into one.

In approximately 48 hours, my brother and I will be off on our journey to India. This will mark the first time we will be traveling there together - and traveling anywhere together for such a length of time - and it will also be the first time I have so much uncertainty surrounding how and where my time will be spent whilst I am there.

As a result, my emotions are all in turmoil. I am so excited about getting back to Bangalore, seeing all of my adopted families, and wandering the city center aimlessly. Eating at my roadside dhabas. Sipping on some Old Monk in Guzzlers or Pecos while the rain falls outside. Greeting my tailors, my bartenders, my bouncers, my shopkeepers, my Superintendent at the Boys' Home. Strolling through Lalbagh or Cubbon Park. Drinking chai for rs.3. Stuffing my face at all my favourite eateries. Finally having the opportunity to ride the Metro!

There are so many wonderful things to look forward to, and I cannot wait to touch down in my cloudy, drunken city. But until then, there are so many things that need to get done, and so many uncertainties, that I cannot help but be a jumble of knots at the same time.

I know my project with Room to Read is going to be amazing, and I know that once I actually get to Nepal, my nerves will cease to be a problem. But until that actually happens, I cannot help but create all the scenarios in my head wondering what might happen and thinking of all the things that could go wrong. For starters, I still don't have my IRB approval, and leaving the country while that is still up in the air is a bit nerve-racking. I am sending in my latest application for review today, and hopefully they will not need further changes, but it still makes me a bit nervous.

Beyond Nepal, I do not yet have a Capstone finalized. I have a very good potential lead, but between unpacking from Little Rock, running various errands, and trying to get myself ready to re-pack for India, I have not had a ton of time to sit down and work on my proposal for approval. In the meantime, I still have further emails to send to other organizations, just in case this project does not work out. Because of that, I have yet to confirm my whereabouts post-October 12. This makes me a bit anxious. Not nervous so much, because I know something will work out, just as soon as I have the time to devote to making it happen. I just need to get to that place.

I also know that returning to Bangalore is going to be a lot of overstimulation on my emotions next week. It's going to be happy, joyous, exhilarating, and also a little heart-breaking and somber, and there's no telling until I get there how I will react to all of it.

The next 10 months are going to bring so many adventures and journeys, and I am hoping they will also help me answer some questions. How long do I want to be in India? Where do I want to eventually settle? What exactly do I want to do? Where do I want to do it? Is it time to make those big decisions in my life, or do I still have time to just take some time for myself and travel? See a bit more of the world? Or is it time to finally grow up? Any clarity on any of those questions would be most helpful, moving forward.

In order for me to actually get there, however, I probably should finish my errands and get started on packing my stuff. Next stop: Namma Bengaluru!
xx

so long, small pebble.

Today I said so long to Little Rock. After all these months of gearing up to be gone for next year, I was actually quite sad to leave. Having never spent more than a weekend in Little Rock prior to moving there last July, I had no idea how much I would enjoy living there and how much it would come to be an adopted home for a short while.

I have to say, it was nice to be back in Arkansas for a little while. That was not something you would have heard me say a few years ago, but I think the years away made me appreciate the state more. It was nice to be back in the land of the Razorbacks and to be able to tailgate and attend a game at War Memorial Stadium.

I loved being in town for all the buildup to Catherine and Drew's wedding; having missed so many weddings and showers and babies these last few years, it was really nice being able to attend all of those things this year, since they were practically in my backyard. And it was great getting to spend so much time with the Hughes family - I do love finding adopted families everywhere I go.

While I certainly had my ups and downs over the two semesters, I'm so glad I decided to apply for my program. Having the opportunity to listen to and meet President Clinton, Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Attorney General Erik Holder, Room to Read Co-Founder and CEO Erin Ganju, Women Thrive Worldwide Co-Founder and CEO Ritu Sharma, Governor Christine Todd Whitman, and fellow Rhodent and Clinton School Class 2 alum Julie Gehrki, all within the span of 9 months, is pretty awesome, if you ask me. And having the opportunity to learn from some incredible professors and some awesome classmates has been an invaluable experience.

I think, most of all, I'm going to miss the people. My fantastic roommate, my classmates, my professors, my adopted families, my bartenders at Town Pump, and all the new friends found along the way. Thank you to all of you for making this an unbelievable year and for making it so difficult to leave.

And because I hate saying goodbye, I'll say farewell for now. See you next year.
xx