When I was setting up this blog, it required me to come up with a name for this trip. Given that I was merely setting it up so I could pass along the URL to people, I simply titled it "TBD," which made me realize that this is exactly what this trip will be.
In my initial post, I talked about "hopping" the fence, so to say, or plain and simply, going out into parts of the world I have only read about in books as well as get a taste of how other people live. Somewhat of an adventure in the spirit of cultural anthropology and natural history. But in terms of what I have been expecting, or what I have thought of doing and not doing, I really never formed many firm expectations for myself or the trip.....well, at least other than some of the basics like not dying or getting arrested. Thus I kept the title, with the minor modification of actually writing out, "To Be Determined," which I thought seemed more appropriate for a title.
I now sit on the last leg of my flight to Bangaluru, India. I have maybe 15 minutes till they announce our approach to the airport and ask me to stow away my iPad. I cannot help but to feel the rising excitement of being somewhere new, and continuously being somewhere new for the next 16 weeks. For the past several days now, I have felt waves of YES flow through my body, collecting in my chest, and even choking me up a bit.....the same feeling that takes over your body when you're on the verge of joyful tears. I feel grateful for everything and everyone in my life, because my experiences thus far and the people I have built relationships thus far have all built up to this moment. Needless to say, I feel truly lucky and grateful. As for what lies ahead, that is all to be determined.
