As much as I think writing a journal entry every day is for soft people, I ended up keeping one for my 2.5 week vacation back to the motherland. And I must say, I did enjoy writing about the daily events. Here’s my first journal entry of the vacation and some picts that I took.

India Trip – Day 1
After what seemed like a forever plane ride, I expected to be thrusted into the hot Indian air as I prepared to walk off the plane. The reason being was because we have to get off the plane and enter a bus that shuttles the passengers to the terminal. But to my surprise, we enter the terminal directly. Nice AC’d air greets us. But I still knew I was in India, the smell gave it away. Nothing bad, just a smell of warmness. After a brief walk, we enter the area that is customs. No lines, just a mass of people. Finally getting passed the counter, we go through security again. This is weird, we are going thru security to enter the country. Ok, I’ll play your game. Next the baggage carousel. Yes, there’s not that many people…I take that back, within minutes people are crowding around one carousel. My personal space getting violated left and right. I pretend I fit in and don’t say anything to the man in front of me that has his right elbow lodged in my tummy. ‘No sir, your arm is not bothering me at all’. I look over at my loving mother, and she knows what my eyes are complaining about. She smiles and begins to laugh. ‘Happy Mother’s Day to you too!’. We greeted the outside air and instantly started sweating. Still early in the morning where the us was hiding. We pack in our bags into the awaiting vehicle and begin our next phase of the journey. The sun breaks through and we end up stopping for tea, which I don’t partake in. I’d like to keep my stomach stable at least til I get home. After a bumpy ride, we reach home. I start thinking how we have to unload all the bags from the car in such heat. Next, need to unpack and get the rooms ready cuz we haven’t been here in a year or so….unload two of the bags. By the last one, I turn around and Grandma is there waiting for us on the front steps……….yea, it was all worth it.

Inspiration:
I always learn life lessons when going back to India to visit. I always am humbled by how people do not have all the facilities or luxuries we have, yet they still strive and fight to live everyday. They live every day with passion and with emotion. It challenges me to re-evaluate what I’ve been given and how grateful I should be and how I shouldn’t get disappointed when bird poops all over my car, but just get a car wash and keep going on.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” – John 10: 10