On the road again.

I am off in one day. We are definitely going to Sri Lanka. I trust everything will be okay. I have been pretty frazzled these past few days- planning, packing, making sure I don't forget a thing.

The next time that I post to this blog I will be in India. At that time I will have some images to share with you.

Just a few of my amazing 8th graders!

Will we make it to Sri Lanka?

So, at this point, just two weeks before our scheduled departure for the trip, I am unsure as to whether we will actually be traveling to Sri Lanka. I expect an interruption due to the activities of the Tamil Tigers. With all of the recent bombings and raids, our safety would be at-risk. In many ways, I would be a bit relieved if the itinerary was changed at this point. However, I would be absolutely devastated if the entire trip were to be cancelled due to the situation. Personally, I would like to make a motion to change our destination from Sri Lanka to Nepal. I think Nepal would present a very interesting backdrop from which to compare and contrast neighboring India.

Preparing for the trip.

In just a few weeks, I will embark on what I predict will be one of the most exciting experiences of my life- traveling to India and Sri Lanka as a participant of the US Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad Program.  I have been interested in traveling to India since I was a young girl and am still in shock that I am going to realize this goal.  

I can't even imagine the meaningful experiences that lie ahead of me.  Lately, I have been feeling a mix of emotions- excitement, shock, nerves and even a bit of fear.  At the same time, I am anxious to finally meet my Fulbright colleagues after our regular email exchanges over the past few months.   

Presently, I am planning what to pack and feel that I am pretty-much prepared.  I have compiled a wardrobe that is almost completely made up of moisture-wicking fabrics.  I am not getting excited about-but prepared for the 110 degree weather conditions.  Also, I am trying hard to plan appropriately as to NOT over pack, as I usually tend to do.  I have been reminding myself that India and Sri Lanka are the textile capitals of the world.  Although I am not much of a shopper-I may pick up a thing or two while I am there.  (Yeah-right-haha!)

Mini-DVD's for the Handycam, that's about all I need at this point.  I better pick up quite a few of them, as I do not want to search around to buy them in India or Sri Lanka.  I recall doing that in China-where I ended up buying a bunch of 'genuine-fakes' which resulted in the loss of 500 pictures from my camera.