Last 2 written in India.

Kulkata has amazing water. I bought a shirt today with a peace sign on it, because orange is a color I never like to wear. Recently I acquired one stomach bug and spent many hours on the floor with a bucket. I sit down as unsure where this is going as where I am going and with as little worry. This city holds unto its crumbling builds in a way I don’t dare hang onto you. Maybe for fear of the same crumbling or perhaps because it’s beautiful to watch you fall. I have rented this room that feels more like a cocoon for me to rest in, to let all this settle in. To let you settle in. There are four more days left in this trip and then everything will be clean again. I will open my mouth in the shower and not do bug check before bed. No one will talk to me as I walk down the street and it is unlikely that a very poor young boy will buy me tea. There will be comfortable couches and situations that are easy to be kind in, I will again put on a seatbelt. I am so very happy to be going home, to arrive in America. My blessings are too many to mention the small kindness I receive everyday. At the Kali temple to day the Brahmin priest prayed for good jobs for my brothers, good health for my parents, and said there is a very good husband coming for me. (3/21/11)

I am in the airport now and in one hour will board my flight to Bangalore. My taxi ride was nothing short of perfect. Traffic here moves slowly and I was able to take it all in. This is my favorite Indian city and we drove through much of it tonight. My heart was bursting with gratitude and I just keep whispering thank you, thank you, thank you. She took me in and let me heal here for some time. I wonder sometimes about reincarnation and maybe if we all take turns. I made friends with some henna ladies, they called me sister and I them if felt very real. One of them kissed me on the check when I left and it was magic, I miss them already. I wonder if we take turns being the one on the street and the one with the visa card? If they teach me now and later I will be drawing with the henna? To have this time, to think about my life and what I want is a very special gift. I am happy to be going back to Michigan tomorrow and spend time with my family. I will drink from the tap and drive on the wrong side of the road, there are rumors of snow but this is too much to consider now. (3/25/11)