day 9

Did you notice our map on our blog? I didn't even know it was there until last night. Now we can track your progress. When I got to looking at it, I saw that there is even a place for you to post your pictures of the places that you have been. I hope that you were able to find an adapter so that you can charge your camera. Wouldn't that be the pits, all the wonder of India and no camera to capture it.
I am glad to see that you are feeling better and that you are planning to continue your trip. You shouldn't think twice about returning if you are ill, but it sounds like whatever ailment you had, you have overcome it.
I have been thinking about challenges and have been so inspired by you. You decided to go to India and then did what you had to to do it. I told you that I believe that there is nothing that you cannot accomplish if you set your mind to it and I need to believe in that too. Today I saw this. "Success is overcoming the person inside who wants to quit." You already know the one thing that I can't seem to be successful at...changing my eating habits, but today I thought about the journey I need to take towards better health and I went back to Weight Watchers. My first goal? Stay on track for 45 days...it somehow seemed appropriate.
Know what the best view is of all? The one from home, so here's one for today

joey wrote:
Mommy!thank you!yesterday i told myself all that i needed was for you to say "come home" and i'd be on the next plane home. I was really at an all time low. I've never felt like that in my entire life! I was just so alone! I planned to just go back to goa and maybe spend the rest of my trip resting on the beach.today I'm feeling much better though. I spent the day walking around some great temples, had lunch with an aussie and now writing home. I never got a chance to move hotels because i figured if i was sick, I'd want a western toilet attached to my room. I am ready to move now. After I finish with this letter, I'm going to talk to a travel agent to book me a bus to pondicherry. From pondicherry I will go to Madurai because I have that train reservation to trivandrum. It's for 4 in the morning though and now i'm worried about finding a rickshaw driver to take me. and since my experience with those savage beast-dogs I refuse to walk anywhere past dark. I guess i'll figure it out though. Please post more pictures! pictures of the family too! and don't stop blogging when tai's baby comes! I look foreward to reading it every day! i love you so much!

day 7 and 8

I have been worried about you since your email. I hate to think of you ill and no one there to care for you. On rereading what you wrote, I thought that part of the stomach problems may have stemmed from your run in with the dogs. That's enough to shake up anyone. I hope that you have gotten my email and that things have improved. If not, dad recommends clear liquids for a day, then only bananas, rice, applesauce and toast for a day to rest your bowels and on the third day, gradually introduce more foods.
Grandma left to go to her tournament. She is so funny. Remember she went digging through all her stuff to get the perfect outfits for her "A Formal Affair" tournament and what she picked out was what can only be described as one of her Frankendresses [Stef's term, but so appropriate]. You know the ones: she will tear several articles of clothing apart only to rearrange the pieces to make a new item. Some of those dresses turn out pretty good, but I can't help thinking how much easier it would be to just go to the store. I guess it is like my paper crafts. I can spend a ton of money and all day making a card that I could have picked up at Walmart for 5 bucks.
Today I kept thinking of all the things I wanted to tell you, but right now, all I am concentrating on is wondering if you have written back. I can't stand it, it's 11:15 pm and just about the time I usually check my email and see you there. I must go check...

Nothing yet, but I did see that I had forgotten to add your latest narratives, so here they are

joey wrote:

mom!!hellllo!Last night was the last day of festival and I swear it didn't even really stop! All night long I heard celebrating and fireworks. Most families have cleared out but there are still a lot of people here. I found a new guesthouse for about 200 rps with shared bathroom. I'm still in my expensive room but i'll probably move there tomorrow morning. the wuins here are amazing! I think you would really fall in love with them, and since you're brown you wouldn't get crowded by all of the indians.. I went on a walk this morning to check out the sites and they are just breathtaking! I'm trying to take lots of pictures but my battery is dying and i haven't been able to find a power adapter yet. I haven't really looked though. I just barely found a toothbrush and tooth paste!! I'm starting to think I came to india a tad bit un prepared. i mean, i'm doing fine but all the other travelers i see have HUGE backbacks that are just STUFFED with clothes and whatnot. I think I have a new plan though. I'm going to go to puducherry from here then to trichy, then madurai. I guess auroville is some hippy community... i thought i would just pass. well i'll probably write back tomorrow. I get so much done in an hour that time seems to just slowly creep by... I love you

and then this:

mom.today is not going too well. Last night I must have eaten something not so great for me bacause today my stomach hurts! I really panicked when I heard it rumbling this morning. I don't want to get sick in India! Also, last night while I was walking home after dinner, the street dogs started barking at me furociously! I had to turn around about three or four times trying to get away from them! It really scared me... now my stomach isn't feeling well and I don't know what to do!! I just feel so homesick right now.

day 6

I had to giggle when I read about your "close encounters" with the natives. I could just imagine how neat you thought it was until you realized how overwhelming it was to be surrounded by so many people. I hope you are taking lots of photos and that you will be able to share them before you come back home.
Is language not a barrier at all? I realize that English is spoken everywhere, but I also know that not everyone speaks it. It was nice that you met other travelers and was able to spend time with them comparing notes.
While you were off gallivating among the ruins of India, we had to endure the first snowy winter storm. I say I don't like the snow, but I can't help feeling excitement waiting for the snow to hit the valley. You look with anticipation towards the cloud covered mountain peaks wondering how far will the snow make it down the mountain this time. Every storm after, you track winter's snowy progression until you reach the point that you know with all certainty that the next stormy day will bring the flakes flying in the valley. I think that maybe I like snow, I just don't like long winters
I had so much I wanted to say, but I had another 15 hour day at work and have volunteered to come in tomorrow [at 7:00], I am so tired, but I wanted to write a little before I went to bed. I will dream sweet dreams of you

joey wrote:
Mom!!your lagging on the communication and it's putting knots in my stomach! After i wrote, things started feeling a lot better. i had dinner on a roof top reseraunt where two ladies from berlin joined me. They were completely exhausted and sick of the huge crowds so it made me feel better knowing i wasn't the only one. Today i went on what seemed to be a long hike by all the boulders and rock carved temples. So many people are here and I started to get SWARMED by younger indian boys. All wanting pictures of me and wanting to shake my hand. At first it was fun, but after 15 minutes of not being able to move foreward due to the crowd around me... it got a little scary. i finally had to just say goodbye and attempt to run away, but then everyone started to follow me!! they were harmless I'm sure. It was just too much. I've never experienced anything like it before.I'm determined to see the hampi that I came to india to see. so i plan on staying here as long as it takes. right now it cost about 1000 rp for a room but some are saying that prices really drop once this thing is over. which is tomorrow.It's really beautiful here though, i mean the crowds are extremely distracting but i guess i can't really complain. this is their home and their festival. appearantly it's a really big deal. all i can do is patiently wait and hope that once these festivities are over the crowds will ggo home. after hampi, I'm thinking i might head up to Badami... it's a little out of the way and i'd have to backtrack to get where i'm going after but people say it's worth it. If that doesn't work out... i'll probably head to auroville in tamil nadu, i think. those berlinians told me it's really something else.well that's it for now. i miss and love you.

day 5

I'm using your computer since mine is on the fritz [keyboard not working] which really screwed up my Election Day picture since it's really not my photo, it's one dad did, but it is so perfect for today. I needed to vote and didn't think that I would have that much trouble getting away from work, then we had a disaster drill, I lost staff, had to pick up extra patients and ended up with a real emergency which created a backlog of paper work that took until 8:30 to finish up. Long story short, I ended up not getting to vote. For the first time in my adult life, I did not get to exercise my right as an American. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but here I am on this momentous day and I don't even get to say I had a part in it. Yep, I was right there for Carter and Ford, but I goofed it up for Obama and McCain. I am so disappointed in myself.

I have been so busy with work that I have not had a chance to explore your recent destinations. I bookmarked a site that concentrated on Hampi but have yet to go and look at it indepth. Can't wait until I can see the pictures that you are taking. Can't wait to see you here at home...

Oh, did you know that Obama won?

joey wrote:
mom! I'm in hampi!this festival is too MASSIVE! i don't think i've ever seen so many people in my life. I had a really nice train ride up here though, very beautiful scenery. I couldn't find the hotel i reserved so i had to waste my money and find another room. everything is booked so i started to panic a little. I'm probably paying twice as much as i should be. i miss you so much! after i sent that last email, things got a lot better. I had a very nice time in Margao. I didn't do much, but walking the streets was an adventure... god, finding my seat on the train was an adventure. this whole trip is really intense. i'm glad i came but i'm truly shaken to my core here. well i should go... i'm probably being charged twice more than i'm thinking for internet access. i love and miss you so incredibly much.please write back soon because i'll go crazy if you don't

and:
mom, i just read your blog and it instantly made me feel better! i'll write back in the next couple of days. i love you!!

day 4

Depressed? Maybe a bit. Using the oldest trick in the mom book - generating feelings of guilt that will send you running home? Hmmm, I don't know...is it working? I hope not.
I decided at the last minute before leaving for work to check my email and there you were. I cannot believe the relief I felt knowing that you had arrived safely. I googled all the places that you spoke of, then oohed and ahhed over all the images that popped up. Now I need to find a map so that I can see exactly where you are on your trip.
"Made in India". Since you left I see india all around me

Joey wrote:
mom!!sorry it took so long to write.I didn't really have a free day until yesterday, and all the little internet cafes were closed.The first few days here have been a little rough... Everything is working out just fine but getting things done is SO HARD! Before coming here I expected to see many western travelers but I have yet to see one. I've been to Mumbai, and two other smaller towns with only a handful of foreign travelers... I thought I would enjoy being one in a few but the truth is, it's very intimidating...i'm handling myself very well though. My flight from Mumbai to Goa was very nice. I got ugraded to first class! I have no idea why, either. Ironically, it saved me a lot of money because they fed me and everything. Once I got to Goa, I took a taxi (which shakes your nervous system to the core) to Benaulim. I stayed in a guest house literally on the beach shore. It was really nice. The beach stretches on forever and you can walk to the different towns.Right now, I'm in Margao. So far, it's one of the busiest places I've seen. It took me about an hour to work up the courage to try and find an internet cafe... Luckily enough it was right above my hotel room!I have to catch a train tomorrow morning at 8. From there I am off to Hospet, which is right next to Hampi. I plan to stay for a while, as I hear it takes a while to see the whole place. I'm really looking foreword to just relaxing in a town for a while. I've been doing nothing but catching plains and taxis.. I haven't had any time to really relax. Well I love you so much and I'm really missing home. I'll try to write as much as possible but don't get too worried if you don't hear from me as much as you'd like. Finding internet access is harder than I thought. I'm optimistic that things will get a little easier as time passes but until then, wish me luck!! I love you!! tell everyone I miss them so much and love them!! I'll try to write in Hampi!!

day 3

Dad won $200 at his poker game, grandma went to church, Jason went to work, Steph took care of the baby and I did absolutely nothing but watch the storm roll in over the mountains.
I should have known the storm was coming, I woke this morning to the hollow sounds of our wind chime dancing and thought how nice it was to awaken to that sound, only to realize that if I was hearing the chimes, it had to be windy and windy in November means COLD. The leaves barely had a chance to turn before they dropped. Was that our autumn? This is what we get, just a hint of autumn, before winter barges in?
I hope that you are basking in the sun and wish that you could somehow share it with us

day 2

Someone asks me when you are leaving and I say you have already left, you left yesterday. Russ asks me where and I say "India". He tells me that his very good friend is from India and his dad works for the, get this, railroad. Russ tells me he has planned and plotted his way through India by rail and dreams that he and his friend can go, but he is married now and has kids and he knows that this is not likely. "I am envious" he says and hearing this, I feel relieved that there are others that shared your dream and you are not just looneycrazymad for wanting to wander so far away.
Kiki wanders. She sits and waits, gets tired of that and lays on your bed. I am not the only one that misses you already