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Published: February 13th 2008
Hola; Namaste my good friends and family..
The time has come for me to finally venture into the unknown... Well, India! I invite you to live in my world, vicariously through this wild child's mind as I blog here in this online journal of everything I see, do & feel from here on out, in all my travel adventures. For those of you working hard, wishing to travel.. I encourage you. You live once. Venture out.
Most of you do know that when I graduated from college June 2006, my short-term goal was to travel, volunteer, basically see the world before "settling down". I figure you have the rest of your life to be married, raise kids, be structured, and make stable pay of endless bills. Not to say that I don't wish for that in my future agenda, as I do intentionally look forward to start a family... well, at least 5 years from now.
It's that wanderlust, true hippie in me to want to explore now as much as I can, as I don't have any of the above mentioned things. Always curious of what else is out there.. and seeking all the Love and companionship we take for granted. And as I grow older, the 'out there' only expands infinitely. I had goals of volunteering in India for a period of 4 months-a year.. in an orphanage, women shelter, school, etc.. as well as teach English in China, while bettering my Mandarin. Initially, I wanted a job that would raise me 4-5,000$ to be able to book a flight to India, and just live for months to see where it'd take me. I didn't think long-term of what career path I necessarily wanted to take, it would have been basically an extended college life, since college really is about investing yourself for the future, preparing yourself to survive in society. Well things don't always work out as plan, but not necessarily for the worse. I was able to land an exquisite job with Ticor Title as an Account Executive "Title Rep" through my mom, in which I know was her sly, inconspicuous, caring way of 'settling me down', as the job does fit me quite well, and provides a very flexible & creative lifestyle.
A year and a half later has come, happily with the job, very content with the company, such professional/warm management team.. and all the amazing individuals that I have now become good friends with.. there's no way I would leave. When I moved out to my own apartment in the heart of WEHO - West Hollywood, many thought that I would abandon my hopes of leaving America in the future.. and completely succumb to the LA bourgeois life. Although I admit am quite guilty of giving in on many lavish nights, my dreams have only grown stronger and more passionately. As I drive down Beverly drive and Canon drive to make my rounds, I can't help but think of the beautiful children in India that I'd rather play with.. As I pay $7 at coffee bean for a drink and bagel, I think of the labor wages some make in a hard working week..
"Why India?"
Most common replies:
"You're going for the men huh?????? I know you!!"
Uh.. No. Although there are a select few Indian men out there I've seen that are quite handsome.. that locals are the LAST thing on my mind to bring home.
"Are you Insane????????????????"
Perhaps. But does it surprise you?
"Why are you going alone?? Why not with other people??"
To be honest.. the type of traveling I plan to do in India would only fit 1 friend that I know, Christina Barragar. Too bad she is in grad school now for Bio-Chem. Next time Love!! Ecuador next year 😉 I am actually excited to go alone, I will have no one to attend to, relax and schedule as I please and really take a break from everything that I have grown to known.
I will be backpacking through the south for 3 weeks, staying in hostels and cheap hotels.. as long as there is warm water and a decent bed.. I'll be fine. 8$ a night I hear is pretty average. I don't wish to see every tourist spot, nor go to where all the tourists are, and I especially don't want to be at any resort. However, I do enjoy meeting other backpackers with similar intentions/interests as me to tag along with and share unbeaten routes. This trip is not particularly for pleasure, at least the type of pleasure most Americans see true pleasure as; indulging in thyselves and filing pity, spending too much money, etc. On this trip, among most trips I plan to take, I seek to learn from other cultures. Learn from their traditions, religion, art, kinship, society, daily function and more. I suppose that is why I took on Cultural Anthropology as my major, invested 2 years in a degree & am so fascinated by it. I am not going to a third world, or what some consider now 'second world' country India to throw pity on the poor, or go in hopes to westernize them. I simply wish to learn about them, as well as more about myself. Throw that ethnocentricity out the door before stepping out of my realm. I look forward to a spiritual awakening through meditation and learning about the Hindu religion. One that has the richest, deepest history, and that have branched other peaceful religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism and more.
I am departing this sunday 2/17 at 11 pm. Arriving in Kochi Airport, in Kerala approximately 10:30 pm on 2/19. Kerala is the southwest state in India along the coast, known for its ports and diverse religion groups. I have arranged for a personal trusted driver for the first few days to take me around and get a feel for the country. The first night should be the most I'll spend for the hotel, as I'll need the rest after the 24 hour flight (spread out as 20 hours from LAX to Singapore... 9 hour layaway.. then 4 hours to Kerala..). Thereafter, I plan to do a 2 night/3 day homestay with a registered host family of
Servas for some insight into their culture. Then take a backwater boat to Kollam to stay at Ama, the "Hugging saint"'s ashram for a few days of meditating. After that, I may make my way down to Tripura to stay at this volunteer site I found. Then to Kovalam.
This is all rough itinerary and have been told & accepted the fact that once you're in India, be ready to throw all your plans out. That things move completely different than America.. and be accepting of the culture shock that is inevitable. I may take a flight up to GOA for a few nights of fun; a beautiful hippie beach it's known as; as well as infamous for the drugs, excessive partying of kids all over the world. Rest assure friends, I don't plan on getting wasted, nor doing ANY drugs in such a place. But from the rumors, it sounds a lot like the Caribbean side of Costa Rica we saw last summer! So if I do make my way up north to GOA, I intend on taking a train to Hampi, highly recommended by a lot of past travelers, a religious worth seeing site.
I will somehow have to make my way south east to Chennai, where I am departing from. There, is where the Golden Triangle is.. the 3 religious sites close to each other. Well, from the map, they look all close, but all an illusion!!
I am EXTREMELY excited, ecstatic, nervous, ready for this trip. EVERY PERSON I've talked to that has traveled to India has said only good things, and how safe it is. The main concerns I hear is 1) the Water, 2) watch out for pick-pocketers, 3) try not to get ripped off from taxi drivers, hotels, etc, 4) possibly being groped. And yes friends, I know better than to pack my short shorts and breast-baring tops you often have seen me in here in Sunny California. It is all the friends/families that have never been to India that are most concerned. And I really do appreciate the concern. But What does worry really do? It doesn't benefit the situation at all. And obviously anything can happen there, as it can here. Think positive. As positive will come true if you do.
I plan to blog as often as possible, when I find an internet cafe, so that you are all able to live vicariously through my travel experience and insight.. as I know some of my friends already have subscribed to my crazy day to day life stories already.
I will see you all when I return, hopefully wiser, relieved that I got to finally go, and not with any anguish or disappointment.
Feel free to e-mail me as often as you miss me.. which I know is every moment of the day.
I want to thank...
-All my close Indian/Sri Lankan friends that have made me more intrigued by the culture because of your peaceful, good heart, strong family values, and not to mention crazy humor... Rishabh, AJ, Vivek, Bobby 'Gurky', Murali, Kannan, Ved, Chintan... and Kumar (hahaha jk)
-Sylvia La, Jovi's cousin, for providing me with all your relaxed insightful experience through your years of trekking journeys in India.. the email correspondence.. I inspire to follow all the routes you have, and make my way up north to Dharmasala and more next time around..
-Dennis Mogelman, US Servas volunteer, for taking the time to meet with me, welcoming me into your home, and sharing Himalayan food with me at that restaurant!! I hope the host families in India will be as warm as you!
-Kannan, for getting me in contact with Benny & Sheva
-My boss for letting me take 3 weeks instead of 2!!!
........... I'd also like to thank my fans...... for all your support........ let me roll out my toilet paper roll of all the names jotted down.......
i kiddd i kidd..
Tudalu...
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kurian
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good luck! come with you mind wide open, forget the world as you know it and you'll be rewarded.