Perhaps you can tell by the title where I am headed. You got it....India! The visit will be to the south so in addition to securing visa and inoculations, borrowing a couple of Salwar Kameez, I have begun popping malaria pills. It is a bit surreal this morning. Since I left you last March I have been on a different kind of adventure...settling in Chicago. Life has come full circle. I am back in my city of birth reconnecting with friends and old stomping grounds. Though work still takes me back to St. Joseph weekly more of my time is spent in Chicago also working and living the life of the "urbanite" I am at heart. The surreal part is that I am looking at the lake and Outer Drive from the window of my 20th floor condo. Smoke streams from the chimneys of condos that surround me. It looks cold and the forecast is for 6-8 inches of snow. With this as the backdrop I am packing only carry on luggage with very light weight clothing because I am heading to temperatures in the high 90's!
This is one of those stories of what happens on the road with that community of wanderers. In 2004 when traveling south in Chile aboard a freighter heading into Patagonia I met Angie and others from around the world. The varied travelers were heading either to Torres del Paine or Ushuaia. We slept dormitory style, ate cafeteria style and spoke to one another in many different languages. After four days on a freighter one makes friends. Angie became a friend. She was from Great Britain and was/is an avid traveler. In 2006 when I was in Buenos Aires we dined together before and after her trip to Antarctica. Then we remained in each others database and periodic updates on life's travels. Last fall her email came from Hyderabad where she and her partner would be based for a year working in information technology. "Come visit" she said. Need I day more! Then when David, my techy partner, signed up for the trip we were India bound. The past month has been a whirlwind of preparing. Soon I will be on the road with 3 technology whizzes. "Me"... heading to the heart of technology with those in the know...."who would have thought!" Life has a way of taking you places!
So picture #1 ... Angie writes...."Sami will pick you up at the airport!".
