“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.” Psalm 30:11
It took me a minute to believe we made it to India. Actually, several, frozen minutes in time. After years of preparation, months of recalibration and many, many, many moments of “I’ll believe it when I see it…”, we are here.
We even made it with all except one bag! Which came later to our surprise.
I have been so eager to share our memories from each week. In fact, as I write this, we are 6 weeks in so here it goes.
Week 1 in Review:
Plane rides for kids were epic-unlimited tv and snacks!
Fresh Lime Soda- a drink I had when we visited here in October 2017 and could not wait to have again. I think this was the moment I felt, yesss we made it.
Playground hopping and outdoor exercise parks: USA, INDIA, it does not matter what country….. our kids are still outdoor kids.
Elephant Ride to Amer Fort- not as glorious as it looks. About one minute after you sit in the reality you are riding an elephant, the “hawkers” start offering this and that souvenir. And when you have a 5 year old who they are enticing…..you end up with…..Garrett the Maharaja. This was one of many hats he tried on.
City Palace was the treasure at the top. A place to visit again for sure to learn more about the history.
Tuk Tuk Rides- our main mode of transportation. UberAuto it is called. Yes, you can uber a tuk tuk…..
Hotel Gtanjali- our first home here in Jaipur. We imagined it would be only a couple weeks, but 5 weeks later…..
And of Course…. My first Kurta
Purchasing my first Kurta was quite the experience. I felt like the queen of England. So many employees stepping forward to offer their assistance. I thought the female employee might try to dress me inside the dressing room! I understand now that service by the hands of many is a cultural norm here.
I also understand now that Indians may have more narrow upper bodies. They size me up, but every time I try on the Kurta they give me, I get stuck in it in the dressing room. I have not ripped one yet though, so phewf.
Adam is getting a good deal here though! In the states it was always messy bun, leggings, big tee shirt and no makeup (which I am still a fan of). Here I am adorned with beautiful clothing, nails painted and makeup for the day! I guess you could say I am “keeping up with the (Indian) Joneses.”
Kurtas have helped my transition greatly. For several reasons.
- They are light and airy in this Indian heat
- I feel more comfortable in public and draw less attention than I would in western clothes
- Upon arrival I was given several opportunities to get Indian attire which equates to, “honey, take some time to yourself and go shopping!” Nothing like retail therapy when you are feeling all the feels of moving to another country.
- Each Kurta also has a story. Hence the title of my blog. Each Kurta can tell a lot about where I was at that point of time, physically, emotionally and the like and also how much has changed or how much I have grown.
I am excited to share my journey with you and the journey of our children. The kids have been doing amazing, praise the Lord. It might be because their first days in country have been epic. Ice cream, playgrounds, new toys, Nutella on everything and lots of attention from the locals (which at first was exciting).
I am grateful we made it and I am grateful we have been able to make our arrival an adventure of exploration with our children. Next week we will continue to get to know the area and surrounding areas to identify where we want to begin our house hunting.
Motherhood & Mindfulness 