Part 1: India

india is amazing. with 1.3 billion people, and more foods, languages, religions, castes, customs and cultures than you can imagine, it's a wonder the country even stays unified. even indians themselves are unfamiliar with all the kinds of food and festivals. there's just too many.

and boy india is a place to learn. like never trust an indian when it comes to spice. no, that is not spicy means actually that yes it is spicy but you won't notice until you've had plenty of it to eat and it creeps up on you and then you're sitting there looking like an idiot while everyone is like aww american baby mouth! and don't get a hangover when all there is to eat the next day is indian food. don't sit on anything outside - men relieve themselves everywhere. eat with your hands - it's fun and you'll look weird to everyone if you don't. the service is incredible - i feel like a princess at my hotel. no one will let me open a door for myself. i actually like the traffic - just going a few kilometers can be such an adventure. crossing the street was never so thrilling! i love the colors, the fabrics, the sunshine, and the very richness of culture.

truth be told, india was not high up on my list of places to visit. but as i got into a groove here, i started to really love some things about it. yes, it's dirty (sometimes really dirty) and smelly. but there is so much beauty here! some of my favorite shots:

 

 

 

mindfulness

"i beg you…to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. and the point is, to live everything. live the questions now. perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer…" - Rainer Maria Rilke

dear universe

before i left for my trip, i meditated on what i wanted to get out of it, and carry with me afterwards. and so, i'll start my travel writing with what i came up with:

today, i fully declare and embrace that i am a free spirit. today and forevermore. may no person, place, or country border ever contain me. please lift me and take me to see the world. lead me on my journey to becoming more human. guide my paintbrushes to influence others, to show them something they've never seen before. remind me of my responsibilities as a privileged person to help humankind. teach me what it really means to have compassion. give me the courage to try everything. and ultimately, show me the way to the truest and fullest expression of myself.