right now i'm sitting at the kitchen counter of my parents' house. the trip is not over, but we've made an adjustment to our travel schedule. my grandfather taat died a couple of days ago. he was 90 and had been sick repeatedly over the last year. but he didn't suffer, and i guess that having a full and amazing life like his is about all one can ask for. we all did our grieving over time as he slowly stopped being the man we knew. my grandmother is doing pretty well now. we think she had already said her goodbyes too. we'll have a gathering of friends on wednesday, which should be a nice way to celebrate taat.
so, morgan and i bought round-trip tickets home from mumbai. (which was pretty intense after the bombings there recently.) we'll return there after the holidays, on january 4. in some ways, taking this time at home almost feels like cheating. like the integrity of "a year traveling" is somehow broken. but at the same time, it's really good for a couple of reasons: i can start to create the space i need to begin to process elements of the trip so far, i can recharge and be fresh to go again after a month at home, and most important of all is the time i get to spend with my family. the decision to come home was not immediate, but it was arrived upon organically.
and here comes culture shock. my mom suggested i make a list of the things that occur to me as bizarre or novel while readjusting to this society. i think i'll call it "kitchens in the chicken," since it's the reverse of my earlier lists. that's something i'll work on and post in the near future. (that's not a promise, but it is my sincere plan.)
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