This is the End....

I have that Doors song stuck in my head:)
So I'm in Mumbai and its my last day here in India. These 9 weeks FLEW by and I really don't want to come back to reality. Its so refreshing not having to worry about things for a while but now I'm flooded with thoughts of my next steps. I feel re-energized. This is what I needed. I thought I'd go away and by the end have it all figured out but what I'm leaving with is that I will never be afraid to make changes. I always do what I say I'm going to do, it just takes me some time. No more. Its a waste. If you are unhappy make a move, if you are bored do something out of your comfort zone. Shake it up a little. This is the only way we can grow as people and learn more about ourselves and what were made of. This trip taught me I'm not alone, its ok to be who I am, I'm not changing, even if some people think I move through life a bit crazy, its just different from what they're used to. I am me and you are you. The world would be quite boring if we were all the same wouldn't it?? Adventure will be an ongoing part of my life, as its always been. See you all soon. LOVE

Its Raining its Pouring!

So I am in Kerala which is in southern India and monsoon season has started. Its rained every day so far but its so beautiful! And since moving to California I don't get to enjoy any thunderstorms so its been a treat. We are staying at the Somatheeram Resort which is an Ayurvedic Spa. The massgaes are like nothing I have ever experienced in my life! They last 2 hours, everyday by the way, you are in your birthday suit (yes, I got over that one quickly), you first sit on a stool and you get a head massage by one woman, then another comes in and both sides of your body get massaged at the same time. Then you lie down on a mat and there is a towel hanging from the ceiling made into a loop-one woman holds on and massages your entire body with her feet. Its amazing! Then you get up on the table and are double massaged again. I have never been so spoiled, I kind of feel guilty. Then the last 40 min you either get a facial, steam bath, or Shirodarah (oil pouring on forehead). This place is great to come and relax. There is yoga every day, Sivananda style, food is great and we have a view of the beach from our front door. The sun has been out a little bit so we hit the pool those few hours. Its been a nice treat greatly needed. India is a hard place to travel, its not like I've been sitting on the beach enjoying margaritas this whole time :) But I will return for sure. The adventure is coming to an end. I have a week left before I visit my family in NJ. Its bittersweet.

Mumbai

I'm here in Mumbai staying with my friend Shruti and her fiance Shashank. Its so nice to be here and to finally meet him! They are to marry here in October. They are such a cute couple (barf:)) Its super hot here, you almost don't want to do anything. Its an interesting place-so much cleaner than Delhi and more cityish. I finally saw the Arabian Sea!! They live in a colony where most everyone is related. They are Konkany, part of the Brahman class. Crazy huh? They still have castes here. So I've been indulging in the foods of India and part of me can't wait to get back to the states so I can have a big fat salad!!!!! At 5 am Shruti and I are leaving for Kerala which is down south. We are going to an Ayurvedic spa to chill. I feel like I need to be pampered a bit before returning home so this is perfect. The only thing is the price for 7 days is what I spent in a whole month here but it will be rejuvenating and we both need it. So I'll be back in Mumbai next Sat night and will give you an update then!!
Peace out

I hate Delhi!!!

So I've been in New Delhi for 2 1/2 days and I leave for Mumbai tomorrow am to meet Shruti! I don't like Delhi at all. It is way too hot, chaotic, dusty, noisy etc. The hotel I stayed in my first night-lets just say there were bugs in my bed, not bedbugs but ones the size of my thumbnail. I tried to stay awake all night till the sun came up so its would be safe to switch hotels so 5:30am I made a mad dash into another place. I'm splurging on myself paying 900 rupees per night vs the 400 with bugs. I was picked up at 6am by the tour bus to visit Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. I was the only "whitie" on the tour but by the end I was BFF's with everyone. They love Americans here but it gets tiring with all the small talk, shaking hands and pictures. There were these 3 boys who looked out for me, it was nice. I suffered heat exhaustion yesterday along with my delhi belly. It was tough-it was supposed to take 4 hours to Agra so really it was 6 there and like 8 back! So I got home at 4am today! We went to the Red Fort, Taj, Mathura where Krishna was born and Vrindavan where he grew up. I'm off tomorrow and can't wait to see Shruti!!! Its coming to the last few weeks of my trip and I wish I had more money to stay traveling longer-maybe onto Thailand! Maybe next time :)

On the Move..

So I left my comfort zone, my little group of friends I've been with for the past few weeks. My last day a bunch of us went trekking to these waterfalls-it was nice, they were a bit small but there were these huge rocks and pools of water but the water was a bit too cold to swim in. Then we met later for a farewell dinner. I've met so many awesome people on this trip I'm lucky. So anyway I decided to leave Dharamsala and go to Amritsar in Punjab. Its chaos here but 2 steps above New Delhi! Very different from Dharamsala. I am staying at the Golden Temple which is a gorgeous Sikh temple made of gold...duh. It is run by volunteers and free food is the staple of any Sikh temple. I had lunch yesterday at this place in the Lonely Planet guide and met this woman named Rain. We wound up hanging out the whole day. We volunteered in the kitchen and made chapatis with the Indian women. It was so much fun. I actually rolled dough and got pretty good at it by the end! Then we enjoyed the food and helped wash dishes after. We did our seva thats for sure! The temple is sooo beautiful, especially at night. Its mesmorizing and so peaceful its eerie. I highly recommend coming here! Today I went to the India/Pakistan border-they have this celebration every night upon closing the border. There are a few hunrdred or so people, dancing and singing and the guards have their fun with each other. Its a show for sure..very interesting I'll tell you!! I leave 4 am for Delhi..till then...Peace out...

I'm back!! Did you miss me??

I don't mean I'm back from India-I just got out of a 10 day Buddhist Retreat. It was so needed. My senses were on overload and I needed a silence break. We had 1 hour a day to discuss the teachings and the rest was silence..but you know how girls are so around the 6 th day we started gabbing a bit at night. I mean I slept in a dorm with 8 other girls!!! We ranged from 24 years old to 51. What an experience. I learned alot! Wow I had many misperceptions about the practice. And its so cool to meet people going through the same thing you are-what to do with your life, where to live, how to make money and still have freedom to travel etc. And it was so sweet. My friends from Rishikesh who are here as well came to "pick me up" from the retreat the last day. I felt like I was a kid being picked up from camp by my parents. It was really sweet. I love these people. I am in Dharamkot, in the mountains. I plan to be here a few more days then head to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple. Lets see how I get back to society here...its pretty chaotic!
xoxoxo