Quickly, now...not much time left! The last week in India was a valiant attempt to cram in all we could before the trip ended. I still think we barely scratched the surface. We left Dharamsala in the "Jeeps" (a mini-van SUV crossbreed) and wound through the mountains towards Tso Pema. The drive, as is always the case in India, was a harrowing experience. High speed, frequent honking, recent rock slides, cows, goats, people and buses, all on a one lane road. We somehow managed to safely arrive in Tso Pema in the early evening. Once settled in our hotel, we [View Full Entry]

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Here We Go A' Hiking! In the morning...come up...present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. (Exodus 34:2) This little piece of scripture was the heading of my devotions the morning we set out to trek up to the summit of Mount Triune. Very fitting. With loaded packs, a hearty breakfast and adequate amounts of sunscreen, 11 members of our group set out on the hike. We started out winding through the small town of Mcleod Ganj and up into the mountains; ahead was a moderate 9K hike. I realized shortly into the trek that my jeans were [View Full Entry]

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Just Another Day in Paradise It really is a paradise here. Such a change from Delhi. The days are all running together now as I have somewhat settled into this area. I've gotten used to people trying to sell me things and lure me into there shops for tea and talks so the awkwardness of telling them no has worn off. The last few days have consisted of many walks up and down this mountain we're on, spending three hours a day with my learning partner doing various things; helping her set up a Facebook account, researching ESL programs in [View Full Entry]

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So much to see, So little time...story of my life Our last day in Delhi at this end of the trip was open to whatever we would like to do. I decided to go along with one group to a Sikh temple; apparently the largest in India aside from the Golden Temple in Amristar. This was AMAZING. I was given a cloth to cover my head, removed my shoes and walked through a small foot bath to cleanse my feet before entering. I recognized this place from National Gegraphic. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib opened up in an enourmous rectangle with a [View Full Entry]

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Heebee Jeebee Inn Toto, we ain't in the U.S. no more. The shock and awe of an interesting place wore off as I stumbled along the torn up streets amid multiple scooters and rickshaws, person after person asking "yes please, you want ride? Chai? Shoes?" anything, everything; "yes please, you like?" I'm already covered in sweat, not sure what I really ate for breakfast and can't bring myself to sleep past 4:30 am. Oye. Then my leg starts to itch. Maybe I shoulda opted for Malaria meds. Would disturbing dreams and severe motion sickness been all that bad ? Then [View Full Entry]

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Two Days in One We left NOLA at 11:35 to arrive in Chicago at 2. A few of my cohorts and I decided to get some Chicago style pizza (what better place, right?). We caught a cab and headed to Giordano's pizza. There, a gentleman overheard us discussing with excitement and anxiety the trip before us. He shared that he will be going to India in November. As he finished his meal, wishing us luck, he let us know he'd be picking up the bill! What a start! After that, we trapsed around a beautiful garden area, noting that India [View Full Entry]

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The last blog may have been a bit deceiving...Titled "Final Blog" and all. But that was the final blog of 2008...this is a dawning of a new era!!! Shall we fly through the past eight months together and catch up? No? Okay, go back to your picking dirt out from your fingernails or deciding what to have for dinner when you know its gonna be Ming Wah for the third night in a row. Oh, you're in? Okay, here we go...hang on. January Colder than I thought it should be, New Orleans presented itself as an irritatingly innavigable crescent shaped [View Full Entry]

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A Week to be Thankful For Wouldn’t you just figure! This week freakin’ flew! It was SOOOO good to see my mama, though! We spent the week hanging out with Tammi over coffees, puttering around town and enjoying our (my last) week at the Portz’s. My favorite part had to be “girls night” when Lem and Katie left the kids with the daddies so they could join the moms and I watchin’ “A Death At A Funeral” and playin’ charades. Katie took the cake with her rendition of FRIED CHICKEN! She was the fried chicken…picture [View Full Entry]

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What I've Been Up To I can't believe I have been in Texas for over 5 weeks! Unbelievable how fast time has flown! My days have been filled with various people and activites. Less than a week after my arrival I began working at Chipotle Mexican Grill. My last day was Sunday. Working there filled most of my evenings. I got to meet many people and brush up on my spanish while working there. I even made a couple of friends. One was Becky, who doesn't work there, but was a regular who temps as an RN at one of the [View Full Entry]

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Albuquerque Never Ends I still have not decided whether my timing was good or bad in this city of balloons. I suppose good, since, all in all, no harm done. After finishing my blog on Wednesday, I hopped in the car to cruise the Querqe. It didn't take long to realize that, having been on the road and in multiple cities over the past month and a half, I'd seen nearly every kind of sight. I asked locals what there is to see in town: Botanical gardens (Remember L.A.?), Old Town (drove thru...same o' same o') Mass ascension of Hot [View Full Entry]

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