So if I go to “blog” I can see you?

A lot of you asked me before I left for India about the best way to keep in touch, and I figured that a blog would be a good way to keep everyone updated, especially for my mom and others like her who might not have Facebook (hi Ma!). I also thought that it would be a good way to create some sense of accountability, helping me both stay up-to-date with this account and making me feel even more motivated to fulfill the goals that I’ve set out for this trip.

Since I spent all day yesterday agonizing over a name for this (shows, doesn’t it?) and all day today trying to upload pictures, I decided that I would just get to it and post something while I still have internet access. I guess I’ll start with the name, since it kind of goes to show how my mom always gets the last laugh.

When I was getting ready to go into security at Newark, I was talking to my mom about how to get in contact with me and trying to explain what a blog was. She said something like <<So if I go to ‘blog’ I can see you?>> to which I responded with typical snark <<Yes Ma, just go to blog.com.>> I felt kind of bad for being so sassy right before leaving (even though sarcasm apparently runs in the family…) so I decided to give this the closest name I could get to “blog” for her. It really is because of her (and so many other people too!) that I am able to take this trip in the first place. She’s the one who dealt with three kids stuck for eight hours in the Bombay airport while there were protests going on; who took a year off work to care for my grandmother and enrolled me in school here; who brought my grandfather’s farm back to life so that my generation could enjoy it too; and who managed to call me yesterday even though the freak October snowstorm knocked out phone/internet/cable at my house.

So I know you may have seen this photo before, but I love it and figure it will do until I can upload all my photos from Diwali: