India (Part 1 Probably)

The moment we decided to go to India, I was too distracted by the insanely long journey to get here, I never processed actually being here. The second the wheels of Emirates flight EK532 hit Indian soil, a wave of emotion crashed over me and swallowed me whole. We were here.

This is my sixth time visiting India. I've been coming ever since I was a baby attached to my mom's hip. But, this time is my first time as a wife and mother. This time is different.

It's amazing how a piece of land, a people, a culture could be such a bright, bold thread in the fabric of who I am. A part of me that's impossible to fully explain and can only be shared by experiencing. That's what we're doing. We're sharing experiences. Everything we do and see, I find myself looking over at Owen and Jace so I can see it on their faces--see them loving what I love.

The word for me on this trip is savor. I'm squeezing the juice out of life and savoring every drip. I'm savoring the language barrier that is broken down by the universal languages of love and laughter. The love. The love that I don't even realize I'm missing everyday, it's here, and I can taste it. Tis so sweet. I'm savoring the food...mmm the food. All the vegetables and fruits picked daily from the backyard. I'm savoring the smells, the sounds that take me back to my childhood. I'm savoring my huge family. The kindness of God to give me so many people who love me and are a part of me and my heritage, regardless of space and time. I'm savoring what is probably the last time I'll see my sweet grandma here on earth. I'm savoring my time with my parents. Letting them share the thousands of threads that make up who they are--seeing the elementary school my mom went to, the river she swam in as a kid. I'm savoring Owen and Jace. This precious time with them. Hearing Jace repeatedly squeal "Wee!!" as we dodge through the crazy traffic and "wow!!"at basically everything else. Seeing his eyes light up at all those animals we read about in his pictures books--the cows, the goats, the chickens, the elephants, the horses, the monkeys, the camels. Watching Owen stand in the middle of a torrential downpour, enveloped by all the beauty that surrounds him. Watching him show love and respect and kindness to my cousins and aunts and uncles.

What an honor and privilege to be here during this time of my life. To be able to come to India and savor--together.