INDIA Finale. Finally.
India embodies Murphy’s Law, but even that feels too predictable. Casually vibrant and filled with constant chaos, roads humming with the tremors of infinite construction. Motor vehicles sprinkle their horns into the mix, occasionally interrupted by buses modified to sound like an elephant or exotic bird announcing its presence. Large cows wander the streets, searching for food left out by families, leaving large piles of shit in their wake, waiting to be painted on the street by vehicles that pass over. Street dogs find shade or sun (depending on the weather), peaceful for the most part, but known to conduct an orchestra of blood-curdling yelps throughout the night when disagreements arise within or between wolf-packs. Red-faced monkeys, with golden fur and an intimidating gaze, scale buildings throughout the day, eyeing unsuspecting tourists for their next heist, planning their next meal. The line between business and residence is blurred. Huts made of corrugated metal and plywood sit next to walls made of plaster and brick, store fronts double as front doors. Everywhere you turn, people are on the move. You have to be as well. Slowing down would betray the flow.
I didn’t intend for my time in India to become so centered on my spirituality, but if I was going to crack Eat, Pray, Love jokes, I was bound to become one. I’m pleased to report that I’ve spent the last month at an ashram getting my chakras alligned in Rishikesh…but hear me out. I needed some room to breathe without having to think about where I was going, staying, and eating next (which sounds simple enough, but easily becomes one of the most mentally and physically exhausting parts of traveling). The past month and a half have been emotionally trying with fatigue and depression taking hold of me midway through my stay in the subcontinent. I was committed to completing my journey, but growing disillusioned with it after exhausting myself on the hedonistic pleasures of the external world. We can only run from ourselves for so long, so I figured it was time to retreat inward for a while. Rather than working my way through five more countries in a month, I chose to recuperate so that I might savor the last third of my trip and learn a few things about myself in the process.
The ashram ended up being just what I needed: one month of waking before sunrise, continuous routine, and constant reflection helped me come away with breakthroughs on multiple fronts. I feel grounded, less fearful of the external political climate and more confident in my ability to handle whatever life decides to throw my way. Practicing yoga helped me establish a healthier relationship with my body, and I went from smoking half a pack a day to nothing at all. I’m also comfortably vegetarian. I experienced emotional healing through fits of crying, anger, and laughter during meditation as well as through intimate conversations and interactions with my classmates (all wonderful people with fascinating stories). I finally sorted out what I want to do career-wise for the next decade or so, and wrote so much about my stay that it’s becoming my first book. Of course, there were negative aspects about my time in the mountains, but they only served to highlight what made my positive experiences so positive. Now I’m sounding cliche, time to wrap this paragraph up!
I’m in Varanassi now, one of India’s holiest cities and a mecca for the Hindu religion. Bodies are cremated publicly before being sent down the River Ganges, in hopes that the souls of the deceased will be liberated from their physical containers, thus allowing them to achieve nirvana rather than be reincarnated. Fires burn up and down the banks of the river, each a perfumed and oiled corpse surrounded by its realtives. I’ve spent my last days here resting after a particularly arduous journey from ashram to airport to airport to hostel. India wouldn’t let me go without one last souvenir, the notorious “Dehli Belly”: a 24-hour fit of flash-food poisoning with a particular proclivity for screwing over foreigners. Imagine navigating a labyrinth of terminals and buses and negotiating with drivers trying to rip you off eight different ways while on the verge of passing out. But I’m good now fam, bowels intact, journal fully up-to-date. I arrived at the ashram in Rishikesh on New Year’s Day with a full moon overhead. I’m sitting beneath a super blue blood moon as it eclipses me overhead while writing this now; an excessive but fitting set of bookends for what has shaped up to be one of the most transformative months of my life.
I depart for Thailand tomorrow afternoon and couldn’t be more excited for the last leg of my journey. I’ve received numerous recommendations from travelers over the last four months, slowly putting together quite the itinerary. Now it’s just a matter of picking and choosing and staying alive in the process. India has been amazing to say the least, but we need a break. The constant buzzing and bartering has taken its toll on me and I’m ready to get the hell out. I’m finally growing a bit homesick, eager to get back to my friends, family, and work that awaits me when I return. Obviously, it can all wait, it will have to, but I do miss you all. My intention for these last two months is simply to savor them. It’s been a blessing to be able to travel this long (and I don’t know if it’s going to be kosher for me to request vacation for at least a year after this trip). I hope your 2018 has also been off to an interesting and enjoyable start despite the impending doom that insists on surrounding us :). I hope you take the time to remember and celebrate the aspects of yourself that bring joy to those around you.
Until next time,
George
