It is Sunday, September 17th and I am completing my final packing to head to India. This is my tenth trip to India and each year, I take a similar journey; I visit the same restaurants; I shop at the same shops; I stay in the same hotel and see the same staff members. Occasionally, someone will remember me and say, “Welcome home.” It is a joy to have a home away from home.
This year I will be traveling through Zurich - with an overnight stay at a hotel in Zurich - then a flight into Mumbai. After a day of shopping and eating, I will take the train into central India to begin my stay in Padhar. While there, I will visit 5 of the schools we support with Friends of Padhar Schools and meet with teachers, administrators and students. After a 5-day stay in Padhar, I will travel to Bahiram - another small village - to visit 3 more schools. Again, I will meet with administrators, teachers and students and ensure the funding we’ve sent is being well-utilized. After all business is complete, I will take an overnight train to Delhi, spend a day and night in Delhi and then start the journey back to Alicante.
As Lao Tzu once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And therefore, I will begin by packing my suitcase, delivering Po to her caregiver and stepping onto a plane tomorrow.