Summer Travels

I'm back. Wow, I am tired. So much traveling. So much fun. So little sleep. I've posted some pictures to highlight my last couple weeks, but let me tell you a little about all that happened. First I went to Chiang Mai, Thailand for our regional meeting. This was my fourth trip to Thailand and, as usual, it was a great time. After being in the mountains for so long I felt physically, emotionally, and spiritually refreshed. It was so good hanging out with old friends and making new ones. We were in meetings all day long, but we hit the streets at night--eating burgers, shopping, getting pedicures and massages, going to movies, etc... all the normal things that I've come to appreciate once they weren't so 'normal' in my life anymore.

AGM was a good time of closure. I said goodbye to a lot of the people, and after a hectic last day, many of them floated out of my life. It reminded me a little of college graduation actually. Then my gals and I caught a flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where we ate at Chili's (AMAZING) and walked around the Petronas Towers (even more AMAZING). Our final, destination, however was Bali, Indonesia. Bali is like the Hawaii of Asia only less expensive. And, well, it's still Asia so not quite as ritzy but that was ok with us. We were pretty much beach bums most of the time, but we did go see a volcano and do a little shopping. We also stayed in the most amazing villa ever. It had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a loft, and a private pool...all for a ridiculously cheap Asian price. It was splendid.




























In fifteen days I leave India. There is so much to do and so many people to see. Today I started sorting through my clothes and other various things. I came across my passport and started flipping through it. It's full of India stamps and it makes me sad that after this last stamp I'm not sure when I'll get another one. No more cows on the streets, no more rickshaws, no more crazy Punjabi music, no more men in stone washed jeans with greased back hair, no more eating with my hands, no more listening to Bryan Adams in every restaurant, no more speaking Hindi and broken English, no more pushing and cutting in line, no more power outages, no more chai in people's homes, no more saris and bindis, no more freezing showers...

I guess I'll be thankful to get back to a place where things actually work properly, but there's a fascination and richness about India that you can't find anywhere else. I know I'll miss it. But God willing I'll come back one day, at least to visit. I'm going to leave a blank spot in my passport just in case that day comes sooner rather than later.

Now to give you a taste of how fun it can be to talk to Indians. I went to the post office today to pick up a package from Jared and the post office man made me sign a piece of paper.
Him: Julie, be sure and tell Ronald hello from all of us (my last name is Reagan in case any of you didn't know that).
Me: Well, um, you know he's expired right? (they say expired instead of dead)
Him: Oh no! Oh no! I'm so so very sorry.
Me: Um, thanks. It's ok.
Him: Well, be sure and tell Nancy hello from all of us then.
Me: Ok, ji. I sure will.

HA! I cracked up as I walked out of the office. It was too funny. The poor guy actually thought I was a close relative of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It was too funny. I'm really going to miss stuff like this.