Happy Anniversary

Hello, just a little note about not one anniversary this year, but two! Eric and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary yesterday, and today we are celebrating one full month living in India! It has been an exciting month, and we have learned a lot about living abroad. Most importantly, I think, is that things always work out in the end. We have not been faced yet with any problem that could not either be solved, or lived with. I have learned how to barter for an auto ride and simply walk away if I am being overcharged; I have learned to live with a couple of lizards and seemingly millions of ants and have concluded that; better lizards than mice! I have also begun to learn how to live without many of the luxuries that I had; dryer, dishwasher, car and many others. I certainly miss those luxuries at times, but I have learned that luxuries are exactly what the word implies, not necesseties. After just one month, we have already arranged for all of the things that are, in fact, necessary for life; a home, food, money, electricity, water, gas, telephone, cable and internet (yes, telephone and internet are necessary to sustain life in case you were wondering). If I were to give my feelings about our decision to come to India, to leave behind our home and make a new one, I would say that I think that it has been the best decision that I (with Eric) have ever made. The experiences that I have had in just one month couldn't be had in a year in the United States, it just wouldn't be possible. Despite having a GI bug and wanting Western food in the worst way possible, I love it here; it is so different and every day has the potential for surprise. I love where we live, it is peaceful and serene, I love where I work, my colleagues have been so kind and I am excited about my project. Finally, I am coming to appreciate the relative simplicity of this place; at times I am frustrated by it, but it also gives me an opportunity to reassess my priorities.



This is not to say that I do not miss home (though it is becoming easier as the temperatures drop and the snow falls in Chicago), because I do, sometimes desperately so, I miss my family, and I miss my friends. But, I guess that to gain something valuable often you have to exchange something of value, and this experience would not be possible without some sort of sacrifice.



A side note: We finally got our broadband connection yesterday, so if you wanted and/or needed to talk to us, you can call us on our old home number, just remember the time change!