Back in the States… and on the Grid

Home yesterday… to the familiar… to fresh, clean, drinkable water… to family & friends… to my work, my garden, my own bed. Lugging back a suitcase overfilled with the treasures of India – intricately patterned textiles, khadi cloth, fresh spices from the mountain village of Kumily, teas straight from the plantations of Munnar, beautiful handiwork created by the women of Blue Mango.  Even better, arriving with things even more lasting – new friendships, fresh insights, new perspectives, and self awareness.

Over the next few months, I’ll share more of my thoughts – about social entrepreneurship, establishing global communities, empowering dis-empowered women, how it was to give up electronic communication for two entire weeks, and the lessons of India for someone from the West.

I’ll admit that I started this sojourn with the full intent to blog along the way – to in some small way share my journey with you. But I must confess that I found myself incapable of doing so.  Although I anticipated jet lag and the associated fuzzy brain, and inconsistent internet connections – it was not those things that got in my way.

Others had written or talked about the sensory overload one experiences when stepping into India. There is no way to fully appreciate, unless experienced, what truly happens when one who comes from a relatively comfortable, predictable, clean, orderly, knowable world, steps off the plane. Your ears are full with honking horns and languages you cannot discern. Your nose is filled with a mixture of diesel fumes, spices, fresh vegetables & fruit, pungent flowers, sweat and sewage. Your eyes cannot begin to take in all of the colors, the new sights, the intricate architectural elements, the crowded streets, and the beautiful clothing and gold that adorns the women there.

As if that was not enough, there was learning how to navigate in a new social context without doing something terribly egregious,  meeting many new people with unfamiliar names, dealing with the contrast of all that I had and how little so many here had.

As such, I made the choice to forgo the idea of blogging daily – as my head was swimming, my eyes were full, and my heart bounced between joy and sorrow. Instead, I’ll blog in bits and pieces as I am grounded enough to say something meaningful. Processing and translating all that we did, saw, and experienced could not happen in a day – it may take a lifetime.

With gratitude to all the good wishes sent my way, and to all the amazing women and men I met along the way!