Something about this place makes me feel so much more alive. I don’t know if it has something to do with all the vibrant colors, the aromatic spices, or the bustling street life or perhaps it’s a combination of all of the above, but I definitely feel more energetic and lively. Whenever I see pictures of myself taken in India so far, I no longer see bags under my eyes or that empty stare. I feel like there’s such levity in my facial expressions as if all the weight and stress have been taken out of my life, or at least for now. And I do feel relaxed and at peace. I am no longer bothered by deadlines or work hours. I set my own schedule and work at my own steady pace. I have more time to sit down for a cup of chai, take a hike up to the nearby temple at any time of the day, or simply read a book outside my place with the tiny squirrels running around.
I’ve adjusted to life in India much quicker than I had anticipated. I think part of the reason for this was because I was more than ready to welcome the novelty of being in a different place. The summer months in California were grueling and I wanted to get out of there as soon as I could, but I knew that I needed to be patient because the whole reason why I was in California in the first place was to come to India.
The everyday simplicities of life have become increasingly easier to handle. From eating with my hand to taking bucket showers and doing bucket laundry, I am not bound by western ideals and etiquette of what is appropriate or clean and dirty, and certainly neither is India. I can easily walk down the street and buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are laid out on wooden carts and get some chai around every corner. If I’m feeling lazy to cook, I can go to a nearby restaurant and order the thali dish which is an assortment of chapattis (flattened wheat flour bread – kind of reminds me of tortilla), rice, curry, dhal (lentils), and curd (yogurt). But if I don’t want to spend money, I can cook up a curry dish with rice (which for me is throwing in different vegetables and spices together), but I’m trying to expand my cooking abilities beyond curry. I don’t have much access to western luxuries, save for the internet access at the Seva Mandir library, and I’m fine with that. Life is much easier without things breaking down all the time and having to pay ridiculous prices to get it fixed.
All this and so much more have definitely lightened my mood. I see my time in India as a vacation of sorts, although I know that over the next couple months I will be busy working on some study on adolescent migration. But I'm not subject to any deadlines and thankfully none of the stress and frustration that comes attached with it. India moves at a slow, steady pace (with the exception of motorbikes, autorickshaws, and buses on the road that constantly honk every chance they get) that makes Washington, D.C. seem like it’s moving in ‘fast forward.’ I’ve slowed myself down as well and I can seriously get used to this relaxed pace of life. So, perhaps, we should all take it easy my friends (just had a McCain flashback there).
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