A New Year, A New Bag, and Gobs of New Experiences

Happy New Year! It's been a while since I've written. I've been unmotivated to post since I had a tragic memory card error and I haven't been able to upload photos. The good news is that I was able to extract MOST of my photos and copy them to CD (they've been sent home!) and my memory card was repaired so I can still use it. The bad news is that I lost five really rich days worth of images...oh well. The memories will live forever, and I have learned a valuable lesson.

I started the new year with a new bag... Angie's departure back to Seattle was a good excuse to send my "Princess Bag" home with her and get a new, smaller bag. I am SO much happier being able to carry all of my worldly possessions on my back . I've made a resolution for myself: if I buy something new, I have to leave something behind. It's so liberating and I feel so free!

New experiences...they happen every single day. Every moment of every day. There is no way for me to describe how much I am learning about the world, India, other people, other cultures, and - most of all - myself. As I travel, mostly without much of a plan, I am constantly exposed to people and places that are off of the tourist path. The vibrant colors, pungent (and often delicious) smells, the beautiful landscapes, the constant (and I mean that) sound of horns and dogs and Bollywood music, the positively delicious, local food...every minute of every day I am doing and tasting and seeing things that I never would have imagined. My perspective is become so much more open, and things that would have shocked or scared me a few month ago are now beautiful and fresh and fun. And, I never stop recognizing the gift of being able to take this extended time off and relax into each place in a way that becomes more natural with every new sunrise.

I am changing, growing, evolving as a result of it all. I'm no longer the person who left Seattle but I'm likely not yet the person I will become. I'm me, but I'm someone new. With so many experiences coloring my world, I'm excited to discover how I will continue to morph into the New Pam that will return to Seattle. My friend Scott gave me an MP3 player with a song that I listen to over and over again by Cat Stevens called "On the Road to Find Out." The lyrics resonate with me...

Well I left my happy home to see what I could find out

I left my folk and friends with the aim to clear my mind out

Well I hit the rowdy road and many kinds I met there

Many stories told me of the way to get there

So on and on I go, the seconds tick the time out

There's so much left to know, and I'm on the road to find out

I really am on the road to find out though I suspect I will find it already exists inside of me.

Travel update: Last week, I spent five glorious days in Goa. It was my reunion with Gerdien, and we had a great time together. Goa is touristy , but you don't have to look hard to find the local flavor and culture. I enjoyed having a few days just to relax, and to stay in one place for an extended period of time. (Unpacking is such a joy!) The most fun that I had was renting a motorcycle and exploring northern Goa. I have a video that I so wish I could share, but unfortunately it lives on a CD bound for the US right now... imagine me, with Gerdien on the back (her filming the video), our hair flying in the wind, the afternoon sun shining on us, and both of us just with the hugest smiles possible and lots of laughter. I was like a kid on Christmas morning...I giggle just thinking about it!

This past weekend I spent at the International Conference on Sustainable Architecture in Trivandrum, Kerala. I know, you're asking what the ???? I just thought it was a little too serendipitous that it was going on, and I was there. I'm glad I went. I connected with a few people that I know I will stay in touch with - both personally and professionally - forever. And it was fascinating to see the "sustainable architecture" of India. It is such a contrast to that of the western world... such simple, low-tech designs: courtyards that open from the inside out (like you can experience the rain falling from your living room), no insulation, many multi-functional spaces (for eating, sleeping, entertaining, cooking, watching the weather change), lots of windows and a big focus on solar orientation. Unfortunately 90% of the buildings that I toured would not even be allowed to be built in the US...such a shame!

I've decided to extend my time in India by a couple of weeks (depart mid-February) to study Buddhism in Bodh Gaya (where the Dalai Lama spends his winters...maybe I'll see him!) In a few weeks, I'll join a yoga retreat where I'll get to indulge in yoga and meditation and delicious organic food at least twice a day. I might even learn how to kite surf...and I still really want to see a tiger!

I can hardly believe that the calendar has turned the page to 2009. For years, I have thought of this as the year when my niece Alanna will graduate from high school, and that has always been so far away! Suddenly, here it is...and time continues to tick! I hope you all were able to share the holidays with loved ones, build a snowman or two and hopefully make plans for adventure in 2009. I must admit, I was a little jealous to miss Seattle's first White Christmas in 20 years... I spent mine with white sand!

South India is a joyous explosion of the mind and senses! I hope someday you are able to experience it for yourself...I promise to help you build a really great itinerary!!

With love and wishes for the happiest of new years~

Pam