I miss America. I miss the nature so nearby with a forest an hour one way and a beach an hour the other. I miss the freedom of its roads connecting each of its cities like a lifeline. That feeling of driving down the highway with nothing but myself and some money for gas. I miss the food, its change from state to state, and that one waffle house that seems to be in every town you come across. (I mean seriously, do all Americans just love breakfast food? Actually that’s very true as far as I know. The first thing I’m going to do when I get back to the US is get a plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes with maple syrup. There is no maple syrup in India) I miss my family, friends, and childhood home. My family keeps me safe, comfortable, and loved. My friends keep me sane. Trust me, they are equally important jobs.
I miss Fremont. A lot.
That’s what I tell all my friends and family and it’s the truth. Homesickness is no joke.
But…that’s only half the story.
India is something that I find difficult to explain. All of its intricacies and details are impossible to teach without experiencing them.
It’s a lot to get used to.
When I leave India, I know . I will miss the rickshaws, ready to take you halfway across the city in minutes or half a block away to the store you were too lazy to walk to. That feeling of pure unadulterated terror when the driver turns so sharply you can feel one of the wheels almost come off of the ground. I will miss the trees sprouting from almost every corner of the city that can’t be cut down because they all seem to have a shrine dedicated to them. Also the fact that they are probably the only thing keeping the entire population of Pune from suffocating from general pollution. I will miss the food, always one part salty and one part spicy, yet the most delicious thing to ever touch my taste buds. (Sorry Mom.) Even the food for fasting days is delicious. (Especially delicious, I tend to eat more on these days than others.) The scented stalls on the street that successfully tempt you into munching on some starchy fried thing. You tell yourself, its fine to eat it if so many others are crowded there, but you always end up in the same place with a packet of Imodium, a bottle of water, and your own shame.
I am halfway through now. It seems like a lot of time but really, it feels like yesterday I left California. Time will fly fast in these upcoming months, but for now, I think I’ll be grateful for what time I have left here.
Happy Holidays to everyone back in the states, and to my family, I love you very much.
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