Time To Say Goodbye

Ending my first extended stay in another country is oh, so bittersweet. I have loved just about every minute of every day which has offered so many new experiences and new friends. However, it is time to come home to my friends and family, who have generously offered their support and love to their "crazy" friend who seems to choose the less traveled path more often than not lately.

A few goodbyes...

Goodbye to the Nek Chand Rock Garden, a magical place created by a folk artist, who is also an architect, construction expert, horticulturist, community leader, venue manager and oh, so much more talented than anyone realizes except the few who spend time with him day and night.

Goodbye to our archival project. We have made an excellent start and now are planning a second trip in November to finish the project. 

Anyone who may be interested in a really cheap, incredibly meaningful, kinda primitive vacation, volunteer experience and introduction to a world you never dreamed about, drop me a line. 

Ram Raj, our daily chai partner and the garden man who
looked after us the entire time.

Goodbye to the people of the garden, the steadfast workers, many of whom have been there 30 years or more, watching and protecting the physical premises day after day, six days a week.

Goodbye to the volunteers, who taught me how to mosaic under pressure and who were wonderful traveling and dinner companions each night.

Goodbye to Alan, my partner in crime on this new journey. Without his incredible organizational abilities and steadfast belief in our mission, we never would have been able to even begin the process.

Goodbye to India, a world you have to live in to understand and come to love. 

Goodbye to wavering electricity, water hoses next to toilets, slow Internet, little auto rickshaws that start like lawn mowers and take you everywhere, unrecognizable food, luscious silks, beautiful women in multi-colored saris, stray dogs, 

bulls in the street, bobble heads and everything else that makes 

this a  carnival dream at best and a labyrinth nightmare at worst.

If this trip is the ying, then coming home is the yang. Hello America, I am coming home. I can't wait .....

I can't wait to hug my daughters, Michelle and Cara, and have a phone conversation where I can actually hear them.

I can't wait for a hamburger - a juicy, cow burger, made with sirloin steak meat just dripping with wet juices that I can see and recognize....bun optional.

I can't wait to hug my dog Zoey, and sleep in my own bed and shower in an American shower and sit on an American toilet.

I can't wait to thank Linda Evans for keeping my world going while I was gone and for all the kind people who offered their assistance during this trip.

I can't wait to begin painting and drawing and working on art that reflects the sights, smells and thinking of India for a solo show in October at the Atelier. I miss my art-mates and art friends and can't wait to hear all about their activities as well. 

I can't wait to see friends and family who have followed the journey and who still care about me even though I haven't been around for their lives the last six weeks.

Most of all, I can't wait to kiss the ground of the USA. I appreciate more than ever, the peace, the beauty, the tranquility of life in America, and look forward to holding that gratitude next to my heart for a long time to come.

Thanks all for being my companion on this journey. Cya soon! Huggs.....xxxoxoxoxoxoxox....j