On a recent trip, I realized train travel is about slipping into a world that could only happen here – not on a plane – where strangers buy each other tea and hold their children and by the end of the journey, can call themselves friends.
I came to Sacramento to revel in silence; to be in a place where I know no one and no one knows me. I came to process, to think or not think, whatever my mood; to speak or not speak. I came for that thing called solitude.
The roots seem a tangled mess–it’s difficult to believe they’re part of a living, breathing organism. Everywhere you look, there’s only water and mangrove trees–no real shore to speak of.
Traveling in India for longer than I normally spend in a place was like gently peeling away the delicate petals of a furled flower bud– slowly coming to a deeper understanding of not only the country, but of myself as well.
To now find myself on the other side of this journey–with it largely behind me, with only a matter of hours left until I board a plane for London–is bittersweet. Because I think India has moved me—even if it will take some time to figure out just how, and in what ways.
The phrase–“I am here to be here”–instantly struck me, and I kept repeating it once I reached Mumbai. “I am here in Bombay to be here” became my excuse not to follow a checklist of sights, but simply to be in the city, whatever that might mean.
![Mission [im]possible: 24 hours in Goa.](https://www.candaceroserardon.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/IMG_8883.jpg "Mission [im]possible: 24 hours in Goa.")
Have you royally messed up your Indian travel plans and given yourself an impossible 24 hours to experience Goa–arguably one of the country’s most popular states? Not to fear–yours truly did just the same and has lived to tell about her race through the state.
To say I was a little nervous before launching out on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala would be an understatement. Everyone says it’s The Thing To Do in this southern Indian state, so I couldn’t help asking a familiar, apprehensive question: Will this be worth it?
“Wherever you are, be all there.” — Jim Elliot A few weeks ago, I had the chance to team up with UK-based charity Jeevika Trust on their team visit to Tamil Nadu. Part of the visit was connecting with one of their local partners, Social Change and Development (SCAD), to explore new opportunities for the … Read More
“The only people with whom you should try to get even are those who have helped you.” — John E. Southard When I think about the fact that this is the fourth year in a row that I’m missing Thanksgiving at home, it’s almost enough to make me throw in the [travel] towel and get … Read More