Worlds apart
I had a refreshing month away from the madness of everyday life in the US. Taking a trip to India always rejuvinates me in a way that no vacation taken here in the States does. There is something about the Eastern lifestyle that is more natural, social and relaxing than the lifestyle here. When I was in India I always wondered why foreigners (from Europe as well as the US) flocked to my country to search for peace and relaxation. Having spent a mere two and a half years here I know exactly why.
Every year that I visit India now I like to travel to new parts of my country; yes, I have come to appreciate my country a lot more after living abroad. That is not to say that I am unhappy about my life here; on the contrary there are many things about the US culture that I like and feel grateful for the opportunity to be able to experience. However, living in two different cultures gives me the ability to compare and contrast them in a way that helps me appreciate each one more fully.
This year I experienced the natural beauty of Goa and Cochin, the two most sought-after tourist destinations by foreigners travelling to India. Last year it had been the metropolitan cities of Bangalore and Hyderabad with their bustling malls and the Cyber-cities to which the US has been losing a majority of its software jobs.
The people I meet on these travels leave as much of an impression on me as do the places themselves. I want to write about those people and places, but it is hard to articulate those experiences even when they are crystal clear in my mind. Sometimes I wish that I could videotape the places I go to and talk into a voice-recorder while I experience them. Document somehow in real-time what I see, hear, smell, and feel on these travels - the tangible and the intagible. But somehow I think that would take away from the experiences and make them less "natural". I guess I will just wait for time to whisk back into memory the images and the emotions attached with those images and when that happens I will write about them. For I don't want to lose them.
Every year that I visit India now I like to travel to new parts of my country; yes, I have come to appreciate my country a lot more after living abroad. That is not to say that I am unhappy about my life here; on the contrary there are many things about the US culture that I like and feel grateful for the opportunity to be able to experience. However, living in two different cultures gives me the ability to compare and contrast them in a way that helps me appreciate each one more fully.
This year I experienced the natural beauty of Goa and Cochin, the two most sought-after tourist destinations by foreigners travelling to India. Last year it had been the metropolitan cities of Bangalore and Hyderabad with their bustling malls and the Cyber-cities to which the US has been losing a majority of its software jobs.
The people I meet on these travels leave as much of an impression on me as do the places themselves. I want to write about those people and places, but it is hard to articulate those experiences even when they are crystal clear in my mind. Sometimes I wish that I could videotape the places I go to and talk into a voice-recorder while I experience them. Document somehow in real-time what I see, hear, smell, and feel on these travels - the tangible and the intagible. But somehow I think that would take away from the experiences and make them less "natural". I guess I will just wait for time to whisk back into memory the images and the emotions attached with those images and when that happens I will write about them. For I don't want to lose them.
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