Coming Home

This is our last day in India. In fact, we leave for the airport in a few hours. Can you believe I'm going to miss it here? I know, I know, I must have a multitude of problems, right? Just a day ago, I was crying and boo-hooing over how I couldn't wait to get home, but now that the day has actually arrived, I'm a little sad. I know part of it has to do with the fact that I dread getting back to my routine - dealing with autism and diets and Eli (oops, did I say that? lol) and temper fits and Walmart. :-) But I'm also going to miss India. I have just gotten used to it and now we have to leave. I wonder if mom and dad will watch the kids for 10 days next year and Sim and I can go on holiday here. That would be really cool - although I have a feeling my parents will say, "no". :-O Or more like, "HECK NO!".

We went out today with my friends Sudhir and Kavitha. They're a riot - a lot of fun. Nandini refuses to come to me and Mom had to carry her for 5 hours. Her back is killing her. Finally, I demanded that Nandini come to me and she threw a wall-eyed fit. Everyone came out of the shops to stare. They all had these looks of amusement at the gora who was trying to calm the screaming Indian child. Sudhir said I was lucky that he was with me or they'd have thought I'd kidnapped Nandini. I'm not quite sure if he was joking or not.
Afterwards, we came back to the hotel and I went out with Ben, the guy from CT, and his daughter Ruchi. Mom and Nandini stayed in the hotel. I finally know my way around and since I'm dressed in a kurti, I don't stand out so much. It was funny watching the tourists looking lost and getting scared over the traffic, while we darted in and out and walked with a purpose - like we'd been living here for years. Oh my gosh, some of the tourists.... don't they read the guide books about what not to wear? I've seen tube tops, see-through pants, spaghetti straps... you name it. I'm not walking around wearing a salwaar kameez, but I am wearing Indian tops and I feel so much more comfortable doing so. I cringe when I see the other foreigners walking around half-dressed. It's really embarrassing.

Well, we're having one last meal and then off to finish packing. Mom is dreading the flight home - esp as Nandini will be sitting in her lap the entire time. Poor girl is in for a rude awakening when we get home and Mom goes back to her place. She's really coming along, though. I have my hands FULL. She is into EVERYTHING. She's already broken our room key, emptied my purse, gone through the mini-fridge, unpacked everything I packed. Oh, and she took her entire sticker collection and stuck them all over the bed frame. Nice, Nandini. Very nice.

But she is so funny and so sweet. I am feeling so much better, and so is she. It's all going to work out. It's all going to be okay.

I can't believe it's all coming to an end. A whole new chapter starts in a few hours. It's exciting to think about what lies ahead, but I'm a bit sad about closing the current chapter. I definitely need to keep Nandini in touch with her roots.

Do you think a little sister would do the job?

JUST KIDDING!!!!! Are you crazy? Did you really think I was serious??? lol

Leslie