I got my plane ticket to India on Friday and because I had nearly the amount of miles needed, the ticket only cost me $250.
I thought I could use my miles to get a one-way ticket to fly from SFO to India and then get a one way ticket to fly out of Bali to SFO but instead I had to get a R/T ticket to India. That’s okay. If I decide to go to Bali I can just get a plane ticket while I’m there.
Once I bought the ticket I had a bit of a freak out.
Here is what the inside of my brain looked like after I bought my ticket:
What am I doing going to India?
I’ve never been one of those people that wants to go to India.
It’s dirty, smelly, lots of poverty, intense. Oh GOD! What the heck am I doing?
Then I had tea with Jon yesterday and his face lit up when I told him I was going to India.
“You know I’ve been to India four times,” he said.
“What do you love most about India?” I asked.
” ‘Love’ is not the word I would use to describe India,” he said.
“Then what is the word you would use to describe India?” I asked.
“Overwhelming,” he said.
“Oh NO!” I said. I’m thinking: do I really want an ‘overwhelming’ trip?
He smiled. “Being there is the experience of a lifetime.”
“Tell me more about India,” I say.
“Well, it’s hard to describe. Each person who goes to India has their own experience. Do you know the story where blind men are trying to figure out what an elephant is by touching different parts of the elephant? One man is touching the leg and saying ‘an elephant is like a tree trunk’….
Each person who goes to India has their own experience. You will have your experience.”
I am silent. I am thinking how India seems to be so mysterious and my ideas about India certainly don’t get any clearer when I ask people about it! Their faces light up when they talk about India but the words they use are: Overwhelming. Intense. Challenging. Oh Lord. What am I in for?
Jon then says, “Going to India is not like going to anther country. It is like going to another planet. Time is different there. It is good you will have three months because a couple of weeks really isn’t long enough. ”
Today I woke up thinking that it is time to shake up my predictable life a bit and travel to another planet.
About Me: 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
What about the part where I said that the thing I love about India is the way that spirituality is part of the fabric of the entire culture?
I’m partly ribbing you. Congrats on the new blog, and on the courage to take this Journey.
Miracles await you. Mother India’s Spirit will inspire and transform you in wonderful ways.
Kristin: I’m so honored to be included in your readership! I had no idea you were such a good writer. I went back and caught myself up on your past posts and felt my mirror neurons start to hop along. And, in the small world department, I, too, have met Neil Marcus. I’ll send details in an email. Meanwhile, WRITE EVERY DAY!
Kristin,
You ARE an amazing writer. I loved reading every post – and I never read a single thing online as long as this!
Thank you so much for sharing this, for sharing you. You are such a joyful presence!
I look forward to the next post and to vicariously experiencing your journey.
Kristin,
You are Inspiring.
I am so glad you are writing the details of your experience.
I know it helps me be part of your journey.
Your transparency and honesty is very refreshing and welcoming.
I wish you the best on your way to discovering and uncovering your heart desires.
It feels very exciting to be going thru the unknown.
Yet when i was reading your blog i wanted to read ahead and find out where did you decide to go.
Best of luck.
Rima
yay! I was born in India and lived there for about 13 years. It is very true that going to India is an experience and that everyone I know who has gone there is some how changed by the experience, but not in a uniform way at all.
I’m from South India, and it has a TOTALLY different feel than the north. I recommend train travel, fresh coconut milk, henna (mehndi), overnight buses in the south, buying fresh jasmine for your hair, spending time enjoying the fabric designs and prints and colors, and lots of mangoes! Have a great time,
cheri (HAI connection)
Hi,
I love the way what you wrote. I am here in india and always curies about what people from other countries thinks about indian people or way of life.
Yes, its true, Here its not unique lifestyle for everyone. Eveveryone is having different experience in india but one comman thing is that everyone who come to india or stay here is getting lots of experience to live a life with spiritual, happy and satisfactory way in bad conditions also.
Gushan! How fun that you read my post. I just referred two people (Johnny and Tarra) to you today.
Everyone: I don’t want to talk much about my work in this personal blog but I have to say: Gulshan is the BEST designer of website images. He created all of my beautiful product images for the e-documents I sell on my website.
I adore this Indian man! He is the BEST. I’ll give you his info if you want it.
Thank you Gulshan for your beautiful product images these last couple of years. I so appreciate you and your fine work on my website!
Kristin
Thank you Kristin…Yes I am providing quality graphics and web work to earn good enough money so in future, I can able to go for world tour and visit most of the countries and meet different people 🙂