Embracing India

It has been exactly 2 weeks since I left the land of curries and chapatis after an entire month of what i term now as 'Days of Delirious Freedom'. The initial objective of traveling to India was to get away for some quiet, practice yoga and experience ashram life with the hope of attaining clarity of my life's purpose.

India was a place where I found more than glimpses of the above. As much as one has read about or watched Ian Wright explore trails off the beaten trek, the sheer chaos, the funky smells and sadly the desperation of Indian men (apologies for stereotyping) can still be overwhelming for most. Thank God accepting India for what it was and subsequently relishing her inner beauty came quite quickly for me.

Just outside the Indira Ghandi International Airport is the perfect place for preparing the unsuspecting traveler for what lies ahead and provides an indication of whether the clueless traveler makes or breaks it. Every commoner on the street is out to grasp any sliver of opportunity available. The magnitude of time and trouble they take for the unguaranteed hope of earning a few rupees is ridiculously common - the result of an unsympathetic dog-eat-dog world of competition! So it is of great importance that the virgin traveler comes rather swiftly to the self-realization that this is India! Embrace it or hop on the next flight home.