4 days to go: Game Plan for Month I

It’s 11:22am and I am just waking up. I feel relaxed, comfortable, cool, and collected. Starting Monday, it is likely that I will not feel any of these things for quite some time. The “cool” part will be the first to go; our new home will average over one hundred degrees. “Comfortable” might be next; though I have been to India once before, I am sure that this trip will present a whole host of new and unfamiliar situations, many of which will make me quite uncomfy. “Collected” and “relaxed” are one in the same for me, usually, and it’s pretty clear that I will have very little collected to make me relaxed over the first two weeks.

Chris and I are embarking on a great train adventure, soon to be joined by Nick, then Catherine, and then Marc. With each member will come a completely different week:

The Chris and Becky week will be for rapid travel. On Wednesday, May 20th, we will arrive to Bangaluru (or Bangalore), a touristy city in the south of India, around 4 in the morning. We will enjoy the city (and some naps) until the following morning, when we will head to Mysore by train. We will be there until Friday night, exploring palaces and markets, and any other surprises it has in store for us. Next will be an overnight train to Hubli, then another to Hospet, and a bus to Hampi, where we will explore ruins (hopefully via bike!). On Monday, the 25th, we will take a train to Madgoan, in Goa.

Then begins with Chris, Nick, Becky week! Nick will meet us in Goa, where we will be for two more nights (until Thursday the 28th). We will spend our days exploring beautiful beaches and the infamous Ajuna market, and our nights enjoying such festivities as the famous “silent raves” of Palolem (think: everyone puts in a headset and dances in silence), and the ever popular (and quite cheap) massages. An overnight train will take us to Mumbai, where we will meet up with one of my old friends for food and exploration. The following day we will travel to Nasik (known for its temples and bathing ghats), and then we will be off to Ahmedabad!

Catherine will meet us there, at our temporarily final destination. Ideally we will move into a fully furnished, air conditioned, five bedroom “bungalow” shortly after arrival, though this is all contingent on the reliability of our real estate agent(s). We will spend this week becoming accustomed to the city, visiting our placements, and catching up on rest after our two weeks of travel.

The following week Marc will join us, and we will all begin full time work. I will be with Gramshree, an organization that supports impoverished women by providing health and education services, business training, and market access. I have been asked to help start a microfinance loan program, and will also be volunteering part-time at a school nearby for street children. I’ve packed several books on what it actually means to start a microfinance loan program, as well as jump ropes for the kids, and am counting down the hours until departure!