I never had the time to feel nostalgic - I didn't even have the time to think.
I just packed my bags, said goodbye, and flew out of India.

I've had the time to think and this is it:
The worst part of leaving India, and the reason I tried sooooo hard to stay, was because I don't ever know when I am going to get the chance to go back.
That is the absolute worst part - seeing things in the US, comparing it to all of the beautiful, colorful, different cultural aspects of India and knowing that I might only be able to compare from the US from now on.

So far I have been sleeping on my cloud of a bed, playing with my beloved animals, gone to the vet, bought new tennis shoes since I left my others in India (thank god), attended a wedding reception, and taken a car to the shop.

It is back to daily life in SC.

Today is Mother's Day.
And even though I can't help but tell stories about India, describing, laughing, crying... I'm very very very glad that I am here with my family.
Maybe it is because they always know how to make me laugh... my mother discovered during our Mother/Daughter photo shoot that the shoes she has been wearing for the last 3 days are 2 different sizes... sort of like my father wearing 2 different shoes to a birthday party.

I love this family.
This is why I came back, and pretty much the only reason.

Don't tune out just because I'm not in India anymore, because I'm not.
I wouldn't.
I couldn't.

This world is still big and beautiful and worth the attention.