36 days

alas, exactly 36 days until take-off for india. yep, may 25th is the date, only two days after the semester ends for me. here's what's been finalized so far in the planning process: i'll be leaving may 25th, heading to delhi first, spending 3 days in the delhi area visiting the national gandhi museum, the taj mahal in agra, and purchasing kahdi to wear during my stay. the day before my 21st birthday, head to the ashram in wardha, maharashtra, spend about 4 weeks as a part of the community, and then head out to travel, hopefully to kolkata and then to the south of india. yes, monsoon season will be in effect, but i've no other choice in when to go. carpe diem. hopefully, i'll be able to see chennai (affected by the tsunami), kerala (democratically-elected communist and matriarchal government society, with one of the highest literacy rates in the world), bangalore, and back up to mombai to be a part of the locura for a day or two before i head home on july 5th. pretty exciting, no? i still only know how to say "hello, do you speak english?" in hindi. but even that's in a formal, likely unused manner of speaking. english it shall be, then. looking forward to: 120 degree weather, mosquitos (yes, i've gotten my shots and malaria pills and will have a mosquito net, yadda yadda yadda), no sense of privacy or personal space for 6 straight weeks, traveling with just a backpack, chai tea purchased on street corners, becoming good friends with an umbrella, and curries. 'nuff said. 36 days!