100 degrees, oldest to youngest.

family, nature, travel, , , , , , , ,

In Wisconsin, where I spent the holiday with my oldest daughter Pearl, we had a freezing Christmas, with unexpected light snow. I’d never experienced subzero temperatures before; when I came out of church on Christmas Day my cheeks seemed to stiffen within a minute.

The view from the big breakfast room windows was soothingly white and still, until we let Dog Jack run out to exult in the snow by rolling in it and barking the announcement of joy to the neighborhood.

I was slated to travel from Pearl’s to visit my youngest daughter Kate, and a couple of days before that journey my son-in-law noticed on the weather page that it was 100 degrees hotter at my destination than at their house at that moment. So warm… because Kate lives and works with her husband Tom in India — and now here I am in India, too!

It’s not a country that I ever had any desire to visit, and even after I bought my plane ticket, it was only the thought of seeing my dear daughter that overcame my aversion to the dehumanizing strain of traveling to the other side of the globe.

From Chicago I flew to Toronto, and then on to Mumbai, or Bombay, spending 15 hours on that last leg of my journey. Some of you have heard me tell of my anxiety about that long long flight, but I have to admit that it wasn’t really bad! As soon as I joined the group of people waiting to board Air Canada’s Boeing 777, nearly all Indian folk, I felt that I was part of a congenial and helpful community. I had a good seat on the aisle, the perfect seatmate, and they fed us three comforting Indian meals.

Daughter Pippin had given me a splendid neck pillow designed for air travel, and it worked so well, I slept three times during that period that was like a time out of time, crossing about ten time zones and being carried into the future, and into another world.

I’ll be here several weeks, where winter temperatures range from approximately 60-90 degrees. I’m really happy to miss out on the dark days of a more northern January this year, though Bombay’s air quality is so bad — 195 on the index my first day — that the light is blocked out somewhat.

I have been busy these first three days of my stay with Kate and Tom, with just a minimum of minutes in which to scribble a few notes on things I don’t want to forget. I hope I can write here about some of the thousand things that have impressed me so far, and the experiences I have yet to encounter in this vibrant land.

But for now, I just wanted to check in,
and also to wish you a blessed new year of 2018!

 

[To continue reading posts about India, scroll down a little to the link “Bombay Baby” with its arrow pointing to the right, and click on that. Continue in that way at the bottom of each post. There is only one in the string of 23 posts over seven weeks that is not specifically about India.]

17 thoughts on “100 degrees, oldest to youngest.”

  2. Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you, which I may as well say now, since I have no idea when you will actually pass into the new year. We have many Indian families living in our town and they love the library – I see them often. They are pleasant people and I love the way the women dress – so pretty! I’m glad you’re enjoying this trip more than you expected to. 🙂

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  5. We have about the same amount of snow here in Ohio…it’s pretty! Enjoy your visit with your daughter. We love Indian food and plan to go to a nearby restaurant tomorrow to celebrate the new year!

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  6. You went from one weather extreme to another! I hope you have a wonderful visit with your daughter and her family and come home safely (and healthily too) Happy New Year.

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  8. Hi, GJ! It’s good to get a favorable report from across the world! Glad you are enjoying it thus far — and over here, you are missing a truly frigid and rather miserable week in which many of us will stay indoors, so I’m glad you’re over there 🙂

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  9. I understand what you mean by the “dehumanizing strain of travel.” I felt that even just going down to Texas and back. I hate big airports where you are always racing and hoping you don’t miss your plane, etc. And if you need a rental car, well, that’s a small city within itself! Too much for this avid country mouse. But I think an adventure to India or perhaps Israel would be a different feeling. Like you said, it would be like a community of fellow travelers all excited about reaching the same destination. And I think it would be easier traveling by myself than it was feeling responsible for my daughter and grandson along the way. Anyway, enough about me! (How did I get started on that?) I look forward to your reports from India. I think we all do! God bless your year. This is an interesting beginning!

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  14. How exciting your life continues to be, dear Gretchen. I was concerned to hear about the restaurant fire in Mumbai, but understand it occurred at 1 am, so didn’t think you’d be out that late.

    Happy New Year to you and your family.
    Love to you and Kate, Pam

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  15. I wish you a healthy, happy, and satisfying 2018! It seems off to an amazing beginning. I’m so glad that the trip was not as dire as you were anticipating! Be well, my friend, and many blessings.

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