Packing and Such...

I started packing for the India trip last night. In the past, I've normally brought way too much stuff - I guess it's a result of too much attachment to things or my trying to cover all possible bases and situations. But this trip will be different - I hope :-)

I've got this really cool backpack that I bought from Amazon that will serve as my primary bag. You can see what it looks like here. It's medium sized and comes with a daypack that will be my carry on for the flights as well as day-to-day traveling needs. In addition to this, I have to bring my yoga mat - those who practice know how heavy a Manduka is :-) So hopefully I can balance myself with the backpack on my back and the yoga mat worn around my front, as long as nobody pushes me over :-). In addition to the bag, they make these packing cubes that organize your gear together - a bit expensive but are really helpful…

So I depart this coming Thursday and will first be flying to Germany and staying with my friends Raff & Gab in Munich. I haven't seen them since high school, so it will be good to spend time again and explore the area. Raff mentioned some sightseeing and possible day trip to Salzburg (???) - wow that would be wild, always wanted to go to Austria, just hope that we can fit it comfortably into the schedule, as I'll only be there a few days…

Next, the entry point into India is Mumbai, where I spend about 4 - 5 days exploring the city. Don't really have much plans except taking a tour of the Dharavi Slum (touted as "Asia's biggest slum". Can't wait to experience that and gain some new perspective from people who appear to have little yet live their life with pride, connection, love and happiness (at least it says so in the brochure :-) ). They don't' allow pictures though (obviously these are peoples' homes, so don't want to be rude), but I will try to describe detail when I see it…

Then, an Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga retreat in Goa for 2 weeks. This will definitely be a highlight of the trip - nothing but breath, movement, good food, good people, and all around fun. If it's anything like the retreats I've experienced in the past, it will be truly awesome :-)

The final portion of the trip (~3 weeks) is spent in the north, bumming around Delhi, Agra (to see the Taj Mahal, of course), Rishikesh / Haridwar, and ending up in Amritsar (cannot wait to see the Golden Temple)…

So that's about it for now. I've been SUPER busy with work the past few weeks so I haven't had much time to reflect or think about anything. Maybe that will change once I'm ON the trip and I can write things with more substance. Or at least tell stories that are interesting...

Namaste for now :-)

P.S.>> Sorry for my dog's crazy eyes - the flash on my camera always makes her do that. Well, she's also crazy :-D