long 4 days...

traveling to India is not for the faint of heart... Packing Monday was miserable (ask Jake or Lisa who had to deal with most of the ridiculousness). Jenna and I met at the airport at about 8am Tuesday. We took a flight to Chicago where we were supposed to have a 1.5 hr layover before flying to Newark. For some reason, our flight to Newark was canceled. We got to spend close to 9 hours in the Newark airport. I know, you are all so jealous!

Flight out to Newark around 8, got to the Fairfield Inn (thanks to Jenna's dad letting us use his points!) and were asleep around 12. Long morning Wednesday (good news, bad news when you have a lot of time to fret about moving to India) we ate breakfast, lounged, watched the US Women's soccer match... Checked out and got to the airport at 3ish where we met up with lovely Kim Campbell.

 Flew from Newark to Brussels (7 hrs) where two bottles (smallish) of water were 7.20 euros. And then an 8 hr flight to Mumbai where we had an 8 hr layover until our 7:35 am fight to Hyderabad. WAY to much time to over analyze this decision...in a strange place in the middle of the night on VERY little sleep. Very thankful to have had travel buddies who helped remind me of why we were doing this.

Landed in HYDERABAD 9am Friday morning. Both bags made it, although one is now missing a wheel...Picked up at the airport in a small car. Quite hysterical watching this guy try to fit 3 women's suitcases packed with 10 months worth of stuff in a little hatchback... Our apartment still isn't ready for us, so we went to another apartment and hung out where the weight of no sleep and being somewhere so different hit.

BUT then we got out and explored and it was totally insane. Loved it- got cell phones, ate some Subway, and then took a nap on a friend's doorstoop, woken up by little girls from across the way. And Friday night the IDEX group got together for dinner and drinks in one group's house in Secunderabad - Rooftop drinking in India. Crazy surreal! Then it started to rain because it is monsoon season, so we hopped an auto rickshaw to a hotel for the night. Don't even get my started on communicating with them and trying to give directions in a city that we don't know, that doesn't have any street signs... My lungs are going to hate me from breathing all of the dirt, dust, and fumes. Lots of fumes.

Conclusions: I will always pay an extra couple hundred dollars to ensure it doesn't take 5 planes and 40 hours. Having a way to communicate with loved ones makes being in India WAY more fun. Hoping to FINALLY get settled and unpack in our apartment sometime today (Saturday) and have time to figure out renting a stove and getting wireless internet...

Ireland

Flying into Shannon, I realized this trip was going to be an amazing vacation for many reasons - I didn't have to rush back to work, it was going to be the longest vacation I'd had since college, and because it was going to be the exact opposite of what I imagine India will be like:

Lots of green, lots of space, not very many people (population peaked in 1850 with 8M and now there are 6M), cool weather, and lots of Guinness... It was an amazing time to read and relax. We stayed in Fanore for a week- visiting a few other places in County Clare. Then 3 nights in Killarney and our last night near Bunratty Castle. 


It was glorious. And now I am back in Atlanta wondering if 2 weeks is going to be enough to get everything done... It is nice to be at home with my family- thankful my sisters are also here for the summer! And there is plenty of time, I know, but it'd be nice to have some actual days filled with nothing before leaving July 12th. 


Excited about what is to come and about my roommates in Hyderabad. Anxious to get started on everything - I keep thinking about how it will feel come Sept. 1st, when I might have some kind of routine and work life there... : ) 

Visa and Passport

Huge relief, my passport has landed in Atlanta with the Visa! Which means I am going to Ireland on Friday and don't have to worry about applying for the visa again... Great to mark one thing off the list!

Last day of work tomorrow. Silent Auction for the Fugees Thursday. Moving out of my apartment Friday morning and then flying to Shannon, Ireland Friday evening. So so so many moving pieces, I am so thankful for such a wide support network.

Really, standing on the shoulders of giants. In the sense that I have some amazing people supporting me and allowing me to do this.

My amazing friend and coworker, Laura, threw me a going away party at work... The following is from the invite she sent out (as well as the picture):

Thursday, June 2nd 2011

As you know, our free-spirited Grace is leaving us for a while to hang out with some Indians (see picture).

In order to commemorate the beginning of her journey,

we'd like to invite you to hang out, drink some adult beverages, and play corn hole in the park.

She even brought Kingfisher beer. Glad to know I don't have to really say bye, since she is stuck with me forever regardless of where our respective cubes may be found (insert dancing picture of self for LR here).

Carried Away

exactly how i feel, i love david wilcox's trembling with joy

The great sea has set me in motion
Set me adrift, adrift on the sea
moving me like a reed in a river, moving me.

The sky and the strong wind
have moved the spirit inside me
'till I am carried away trembling with joy
carried away.

http://davidwilcox.com/index.php?page=songs&display=2083&category=Musical_Medicine