Reflective mood as I become a short-timer
One more night in Kathmandu, one night in Delhi, traveling overnight to Heathrow, two nights in London, then will be in SLC by the end of the month. somehow you live in a bubble of timelessness, then the clock and the calendar slap you and you realize it's fast approaching "DONE" status! Interestingly, the conversations change...
when are we going to see each other again? what food do you want most on your return? what are you going to miss most about being here? do I have your e-mail? will you keep in touch? can I come visit? and money becomes a much more intense focus -- how much do I convert so that I can buy what I've planned but not have too much left over [of course saving enough to pay the departure tax!!! wouldn't that be embarrassing not to be able to leave???!!!!!]
Our group leader Andy is meeting his wife this afternoon [she is flying over from Dharan] -- we will say goodbye to him at the airport tomorrow afternoon. We have a bit of time in Delhi together, then say goodbye to the two that have additional traveling planned in southern India... and the rest of us will say our farewells in Heathrow before we queue for customs processing.
I know it is going to take me a while to sort through my memories and feelings and put this trip into perspective. People have asked me how it has changed me and the honest answer is "I don't know" -- I expect I will go through a period of adjustment back into the western world, but hope to take some of the best parts of my trip home with me -- if only a sense of how incredibly lucky we are to have readily available hot showers and toilet paper!!!!
I have relatively few pictures, and will be getting e-mails and cds from others who have traveled w/ me -- the good news is that means there will be more pictures of ME available in the site once I post it!! My camera has been tempermental for most of the trip -- sometimes the battery lasts a predictable amount of time, other times it quits in 1/4 the time it should... and sometimes the batteries that I KNOW I have charged don't think they are... I'm hoping it is either old rechargables or a faulty recharger.... but could be that the camera itself needs to be upgraded.
in some ways this feels like completing a work assignment -- it is clear that we are in wrap-up mode and also very clear the people matter so much more than the details of what remains to be done... addressing both people and tasks without becoming maudlin is a challenge for each of us... most of us don't like goodbye and know we can't avoid it. here's to our completing well.
grins, b
when are we going to see each other again? what food do you want most on your return? what are you going to miss most about being here? do I have your e-mail? will you keep in touch? can I come visit? and money becomes a much more intense focus -- how much do I convert so that I can buy what I've planned but not have too much left over [of course saving enough to pay the departure tax!!! wouldn't that be embarrassing not to be able to leave???!!!!!]
Our group leader Andy is meeting his wife this afternoon [she is flying over from Dharan] -- we will say goodbye to him at the airport tomorrow afternoon. We have a bit of time in Delhi together, then say goodbye to the two that have additional traveling planned in southern India... and the rest of us will say our farewells in Heathrow before we queue for customs processing.
I know it is going to take me a while to sort through my memories and feelings and put this trip into perspective. People have asked me how it has changed me and the honest answer is "I don't know" -- I expect I will go through a period of adjustment back into the western world, but hope to take some of the best parts of my trip home with me -- if only a sense of how incredibly lucky we are to have readily available hot showers and toilet paper!!!!
I have relatively few pictures, and will be getting e-mails and cds from others who have traveled w/ me -- the good news is that means there will be more pictures of ME available in the site once I post it!! My camera has been tempermental for most of the trip -- sometimes the battery lasts a predictable amount of time, other times it quits in 1/4 the time it should... and sometimes the batteries that I KNOW I have charged don't think they are... I'm hoping it is either old rechargables or a faulty recharger.... but could be that the camera itself needs to be upgraded.
in some ways this feels like completing a work assignment -- it is clear that we are in wrap-up mode and also very clear the people matter so much more than the details of what remains to be done... addressing both people and tasks without becoming maudlin is a challenge for each of us... most of us don't like goodbye and know we can't avoid it. here's to our completing well.
grins, b
posted by Travelin' Bea | Friday, May 26, 2006
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