Well, it really has been been a while since I’ve written about anything on here. But, thought I’d write about something a little bit different instead of the usual lifestyle content.

I typically have a habit of journaling during my trips, so thought I’d share what our India trip is like this time around.

Our trip this time came around really unexpectedly in many ways and in some sense I wasn’t mentally prepared. The end of the year brought about many different emotions for me in regards to what didn’t work out in 2022 and fears about how things will work out in 2023. I know it’s a bit strange, but somehow I wasn’t able to just let go and let myself enjoy the upcoming trip. But, honestly, I have the most supportive family and right before we left, at the airport, my dad said some of the most encouraging words that helped me to just let go a bit and look forward to the trip.

To give some background, generally, I’ve always loved coming to India. There’s something a bit homey about the vibes, even though there’s so much going on all the time. So many people, so much traffic, and so much stimuli everywhere. I love coming and visiting family (i’m one of those that genuinely doesn’t get bored of meeting people), spending time with immediate family here, eating out, shopping, and getting lost in the sea of people.

So our first stop has been Hyderabad, which is home. This time around, it’s felt like like we’ve just come home. Many times it’s felt like I truly am traveling to some foreign country, but it hasn’t been like that this time. Every time we come back though, so much changes in the city, yet it’s all still the same. The amazing thing about Hyderabad, which didn’t quite strike me until now, is how truly it is a mashup of different languages and cultures. You are bound to find someone who speaks your language, unlike some other places that i’ve been too.

By the time we landed on the first day, it was already late afternoon/evening. We came home, chilled for a bit, and then headed out to one of our favorite chaat joints that we visit every time we come here. Right as we were waiting for our food, there was a small accident in the lane, and in typical fashion, the guy who’s car was actually hit didn’t say anything, but the others around him were fighting and yelling at each other. And, then who knows what happened, everything cooled down within 5 minutes and each person was off on their way again. These types of moments always just amuse me so much and it’s not something we get to see in the states.

The last couple of days though have just really passed by in a blink. Due to jetlag, we’ve woken up in the wee hours of the morning (also doesn’t help that the vegetable guy is yelling quite early in the am), and have walked over to this little food joint 2 minutes away from our home, in our pajamas, and have enjoyed the best filter coffee, breakfast food, and chats with my folks. I really don’t think we can do this in the states, as to get to almost anywhere you need a car. And one of the best things about India, is that you can get some of the best food at these smaller places, which I actually prefer to a more fancy experience.

I’m definitely missing my grandma on this trip! While we’re here, she’s actually in the states right now. But, everytime we come here, I love taking her around shopping, out to eat, visiting all of our relatives with her and just spending time chatting away. I think older people have some of the best stories to listen to, and they just love spending time with their grandkids. So, this has definitely been lacking. But, it’s been so nice to catch up with my mom’s brother’s family and spend some quality time with them.

Even though we’ve only been here for a couple of days, I think we’ve already ticked off half of the restaurants that we wanted to eat at. While I had a bad upset stomach yesterday, (and it wouldn’t be a trip to India if that didn’t happen atleast once), we have already have had some of the best food.

We’ve gone around shopping in the last couple of days, picking up materials, having the tailor come home and take our measurements, get alterations done, etc. but it feels like there’s still so much more to do, and yet so little time. In some sense, I used to have a lot more patience for these things when I was younger, but now, with the increase in traffic, and time it takes to get small things done, I feel like my patience has been dwindling!

Weirdly my asthma has been acting up every since we’ve gotten here, and the humidity and heat has just left me feeling like a deflated balloon!

I feel like this is the first time in a while where I’ve had no work, school, etc. to bring on a trip with me, and that’s definitely been weird. While I really do enjoy being busy, I was hoping to have some time to just reflect and that hasn’t quite happened. But i’ve generally found that this is the case when I come to India. In a way, I just don’t have the mind space to connect and spend some time with myself, as there’s always something happening.

We’re packed and ready to had to Pune tomorrow! I am really looking forward to meeting so much of my dad’s family that i’ve never met before and also just experiencing more of our Maharashtrian culture.

Also, I’m fully aware that sweeping in every so often and visiting is vastly different from living here in India and experiencing it from that perspective. Having lived here for a year while growing up, that experience is definitely different from what i’ve been describing.

Apologies if this post has felt a little scattered! I’ve written it in the way in which I would write one of my journal entries. And also, I mostly took pictures food instead of people, so bear with me.

Stay tuned for part 2!

-K