Deep Thoughts :)

I was doing my Yoga this morning and started thinking that last year at this time I was at the Sivananda ashram in Kerala India. It's hard to believe that a year has gone by. So much has happened. My trip started out being all about me and trying to "find" myself in a way. What I found was that the world out there is so big and complex and that's so much more interesting than me.

There were times when I loved being at the ashram and times when I felt like I couldn't stand another minute. I wanted to take a hot shower, use a toilet with a flush handle :) and wash my clothes in a washing machine instead of by hand. Everyone else seemed so acclimated to the food, the lack of amenities and, for the first time in my life, I felt kind of spoiled. I remember meditating early in the morning at Shiva hall with the rest of the ashram and hearing the lions roaring in the nearby wildlife preserve and thinking, "one day you're going to remember all of this fondly."

When I finally left the ashram and went to the lodge in Trivandrum, I was so thrilled to have my own room, bathroom, access to the Internet on a daily basis and television. Even the phone that allowed me to make international calls seemed enchanting. Everything is relative as they say because when I got to the hotel in New Delhi and I realized I could take a hot shower for the first time in two weeks, I took such a long shower that I flooded the bathroom. I then proceeded to order ice cream, pizza, samosas, and breakfast in the a.m. via room service.

I was somewhat overwhelmed by Delhi both times I was there. It was crowded, noisy, and unlike any place I've ever been. The day I had scheduled to go around the city with a driver, I suddenly felt like I was coming down with a bug and kept running to the bathroom. I wasn't sure I'd be able to go on the tour. I did my yoga asanas that I'd learned at the ashram along with the breathing exercises and I told myself "you can't wimp out. You may never have this opportunity to see Delhi again." And I had a wonderful day.

What struck me during my time in India is how everyone was so curious about the U.S. Whether it was a temple guide, an Irish dorm mate, the driver who took me around Delhi--they all wanted to talk about the U.S. In the process, I found my identity shifting from that of just "me" to an American in the world. I'd noticed this before when I traveled abroad, but never more so than on this last trip. No matter how much we choose to view ourselves as individuals traveling alone in the world, we are also citizens of the world and the countries we come from. When I saw the footage of people all over the world celebrating Obama being sworn in as President of the U.S., once again that really was driven home for me.