I am now in the midst of what I call “Pre-India Chaos”. I seem to be drowning in a to-do list a mile long, another list of all the items I need for a month in a 3rd world country, my regular teaching jobs, and the desire for some QT with my adorable husband before I jet out of this place on our first anniversary!!!! Yes, he still loves me despite this. 

Following my arrival in Mysore comes the “India Chaos”. This is actually when all the fun begins. The mixture of cows and other farm animals in the road, stares at my curiously platinum hair color, noise from the neighborhood TV’s during Bollywood shows, bucket laundry, dirt roads, and the zillion other things that push your nervous system to its limits are not for the faint of heart. I wouldn’t change it for anything. In the midst of the swirling I am studying daily with my Guru, learning the roots of Sanskrit, and most importantly, being taught by the life surrounding me. In the west we strive to be in the moment for a glimpse at a time, but in India they actually LIVE in the now. Time stops. After all, where else is there to be but HERE and NOW? People enjoy cooking for hours, having chai each morning, and engaging in meaningful conversations with strangers on the street. It teaches me that life is not the to do list but the amazing things that occur when you leave the list behind and allow yourself to stop doing and start existing! 

Priceless.