Bittersweet

McLeod Ganj, India

Today is our last full day here and tomorrow it is time to move on. In some ways I am ready, we've said our goodbyes, we've finished our cooking classes, we're done everything on our list that we "had to do." But it would also be so easy to stay.

We've been making friends and getting into a routine. Our first night in town we went to eat at a place called Nick's Italian Kitchen. The food was so good and the people running it so nice, that we decided to move into the hotel above the restaurant the next day. With the monsoon rains and narrow streets jammed with cars and scooters during the national holiday, it was so great to live in the same building that we took most of our meals in. We've eaten our way through most of the menu and it would be hard to recommend the Italian portion of the menu over the Tibetan. Dishes from both cuisines are delicious.

Yesterday I caved in and finally bought a Buddha statue. I'd been looking on and off for about a week. With all the styles to choose from and the many different Buddha representations, I couldn't quite get my head around making a selection. In the end I chose a medium sized Buddha in the teaching position. The most enjoyment I've had from our time here in McLeod Ganj has been working with Yidam, a young Tibetan, and giving him English lessons, so this particular Buddha seemed appropriate.

One of the great things about staying in McLeod Ganj was the feeling of having a purpose. We took classes. I gave classes. We did very little sightseeing in our eleven days here.

Chris pointed out that four months from now, we'll be boarding a plane to go home. My travels will be at an end and I'll be getting ready to go back to school. I'm looking forward to having a routine again. And being surrounded by family and old friends. Those comforts are given up in exchange for travel and new experiences.