Full Speed Ahead

Ayyo!

Please excuse the lack of blogging recently, the past few weeks have been quite the whirlwind. Now that I'm back at PSU, I'm hoping that I can figure out this whole routine thing soon and get back to a normal schedule of being a real person.

Sooooo my time in Cape Breton was absolutely wonderful. I spent a week with the MacAskill crew and we had a great time catching up (while I've visited with my family, I hadn't been to Nova Scotia in a few years) and exploring different parts of the island. The seven days were full of scenic hikes, road trips to the beach, lots of visits to chip trucks, and some interesting nights on the town in Sydney. It was a great way to end the summer.

By the time I got back in Erie, I had one-and-a-half days to get my life together to move back into school. I basically just threw a little bit of everything in a bunch of laundry baskets and boxes, packed up the Jeeps, and headed out to Happy Valley at 4:30AM last Thursday. We made it to Atherton Hall around 8AM and were happily surprised to see that we were the only people moving in during that time, so the craziness of dodging 7,000 people on move-in day was avoided. After putting a couple of loads of all the things I bought in India into the new room, I was off to a THON meeting before putting the finishing touches in my lovely dorm.

There was no time to relax after unloading and setting up everything because the Reilly's were then off to the Big Apple for the weekend. We had lunch at the Corner Room in State College (ahhh, delicious!) and did some shopping downtown before the drive to our hotel in New Jersey. We basically went to bed as soon as we got there (it had been quite the long day) and woke up the next morning to head to our hotel in the city. Our hotel for the weekend sat smack-dab in the middle of Herald Square; its location right in front of Macy's was absolutely fantastic.

We spent Friday exploring monuments and museums. We took the boat out to Liberty Island to visit Lady Liberty, then visited Ellis Island to explore. It was fascinating to go through the halls and rooms  where so many people entered America and the history nerd inside of me loved reading all of the stories and side-notes written throughout the entire place. I took my time wandering around (my parents at times were trying to pull me along) and it was a really great visit.

The next stop on our tour was the 9/11 memorial and museum. I had visited the memorial before, but the museum was not completed the last time I was in NYC. We spent hours going through the extremely well-done exhibits and taking everything in.

After a little shopping, people-watching, and grabbing some food in Times Square, we headed back to the hotel as some super tired tourists. We got some sleep before an early start Saturday morning. We decided to browse through Macy's before hopping on the Subway to Yankee Stadium, which resulted in us getting separated and slightly lost in the mass chaos that is the world's largest store.

We finally gathered ourselves made it to the stadium and into our seats with the Gannon group and enjoyed a beautiful day of baseball. We watched Jorge Pasada number be retired and the Yankees earn a victory over the Indian. What a great afternoon for a sports fan.

Next came some more subway surfing, wandering through stores, a trip through Central Park to see the bridge from a scene in my favorite movie, Made of Honor, and trying to dodge the masses of people. I have to say that crossing streets was actually a breeze compared to crossing streets in Delhi, so the traffic was not a problem whatsoever.

After scouring the shoe department at Macy's (you couldn't pay me a million bucks to work in the clearance rooms in that store), it was time to hit the hay. While I was so pumped from the awesome weekend spent in the city, I was pretty exhausted and fell right asleep as soon as I hit the pillow.


Sunday brought a visit to the giant Toys-R-Us with Coach Rei and a  last-minute trip to Macy's (I was trying to find a shoe that had gone missing from the clearance room) and a longgggg ride back to Penn State. I finally made it back around dinner time and had time to reunite with some friends before trying to organize myself and get back into school-mode.

This week has been nuts. Between classes, working in the basketball office, trying to start the planning for next summer's adventure, and just staring at my schedule for the next few months, I'm in major need of a huge nap... and it's only the fourth day. I guess that's what I get for only having five days at home since July 5th...

While I'm sad that I had to say good-bye to my amazing summer of adventures, it does feel pretty great to be back at the best school on the planet and getting back into the swing of things with my pals.

If things weren't super crazy, life wouldn't be any fun,
Kirst

Next Stop: Cape Breton Island

Bonjour!

Currently lounging at yet another airport Starbucks, this time in Toronto and not some crazy city in Asia. I think I can venture to say that these places where planes take off have become my new natural habitat. After the past month, I really think I should be a member of one of those international travel clubs or something.

After just four full days at home, I'm back on the international travel scene. I'm still not fully adjusted from my extensive time travel, but my body isn't fighting me too much. I've only had one incident where good ol' American food didn't sit so well, so I guess I can be okay with that. I did, however, just eat red meat for the first time in a month... this could get interesting.

While I did a lot of chillaxing the last few days, Coach Rei and I went on a few trips to Chautauqua Lake, one of my favorite places to visit in the summer. I've definitely missed walking around by the water and enjoying the scenery. Although it was short-lived, it was nice to get back to some slight normalcy for a few days. I was also able to catch up with a few friends before we all head off to college. It's crazy to think that when I get back home this time next week, I'll be less than 48 hours away from my sophomore year move-in.

I literally feel like I haven't been home in years and now it's about time to settle back into life in Happy Valley. I'm more than excited to be reunited with my peeps at school, but I have a lot to get done between now and next Thursday. In addition to moving in to Atherton next week, the Reilly crew is heading for a weekend trip to the Big Apple. Life is definitely not slowing down anytime soon.

This post is pretty random, but at this point, I have nothing else to do after taking a few laps around the airport. I can probably read one of the 37 books I have in my backpack, but that would be too easy, wouldn't it? Just two and a half more hours before my departure to Nova Scotia... at least I get to see the MacAskill fam squad tonight!

Compulsively trying to figure out how I'm going to decorate my dorm room,
Kirst

An Open Love Letter To India

My dearest India,

I now sit here in the Philadelphia airport after a 4 hour flight, a 19 hour eye-opening experience in the Middle East, and a 14 hour flight to the US of A in a state of disbelief that I've actually left you. After being with you for a month, I actually feel strange being home and in the country sealed on the front of my freshly stamped passport.

While I am happy to be back and I'm looking forward to Coach Rei picking me up at the Erie airport in 6 short hours, I'm already having slight separation anxiety from you. I figured now would be the best time to write to you, being that I'm fresh off of a 14 hour reflection and this is the best way for me to process everything.

For starters, I must tell you that you threw me for quite the loop. I have to admit that you made me question my hopeless romantic belief in love at first sight. I emerged into the thick air of Delhi in the mindset of what the hell have I done and how am I going to live here for a month. Not because of your abundance of people, noise, and craziness, but because of my sense of being extremely uncomfortable. I was scared about what was to come, how I was going to communicate with others, and how I was going to build relationships with the people around me.

While I may not have fallen in love at first sight, I definitely fell in love within the first three days. After conquering jet lag, I was a new person, one that was ready to embrace everything that is India. Your colorful streets, raging spurts of Hindi, and caring nature of your people drew me in and I never looked back.

I remember blogging on my second day of the trip that I was completely amazed by you. Since that day, I fell deeper and deeper in love with you.  I became incredibly invested in your culture, even when I experienced some not-so-pretty things. For a month, you showed me something entirely new each and every day. You changed my view of the world.

I can't thank you enough, my love. India, you have taught me so much. As I begin to ramble, please know that it is out of adoration and that my emotions and mindset are quite jumbled as I spew out everything I've taken in over the course of my adventure.

India, thank you for teaching me that language is not always a barrier. Dance moves are a common form of communication. Smiles are universally understood. Everyone loves Taylor Swift. Americans start the best dance parties. Love can be discovered in places that you least it expect it. I need to attend (or have) an Indian wedding. Rickshaws, while terrifying, are a very enjoyable way of travel. Adventure is everywhere. It's possible to fall in love in ten days. Everyone needs a little (emphasis on little) spice in their life. I love dosas. Experiencing and observing other religions is mesmerizing. Fun pants are so comfy, but they make you look like a total tourist. The way to someone's heart is through their stomach. Crossing streets in Delhi can increase your blood pressure. I need to always appreciate what I have. Everyone loves the THON line dance. Kurtas are fabulous. Honesty (while sometimes the best policy) can be hurtful. I need to always trust my gut. FaceTime is the most efficient cure for homesickness.
Mangos actually have magical powers. Corn and pomegranate seeds are a strange, but delicious, combo. Cold showers aren't all that bad. Kids will always brighten your day. People can be really ignorant. Hair wraps will survive monsoon season. I don't like spiders that are the size of my palm. Bug spray sometimes has to double as perfume. I should always be thankful for clean water, fruits, and veggies. Re-packing your suitcase (37 times) can be therapeutic. Spotify's Acoustic Morning playlist is a necessity for traveling. Pop tastes better when in a bottle. The WHOOP on a Saturday in Happy Valley is nothing compared to Indian public transportation. Dogs seem cuter when you're not allowed to pet them. Mehndi, while gorgeous, does not smell good. People may think you're a celebrity just because you come from America. Food poisoning... don't mess with that. State College needs a system of rickshaws. Coconut naan is not actually an India thing.
Marigolds don't have any actual significance. Monsoons don't stop the party, they start it. Delhi Belly can occur in places other than Delhi AKA the flight from Mumbai to Jaipur. Time travel is a real thing. Jumping off of buildings is actually quite thrilling. Sleep is pretty necessary. Best friends that travel together will yell at one another and then immediately figure it out. Seeing the world is a calling... I need to continue my travels.

Thank you, India. Thank you for molding me into a better person. Thank you for allowing me to look into myself and my future so that I'll never look back. Thank you for showing me that life's greatest adventures lie within the things that terrify you the most.

While we may be thousands of miles away from one another, I'm confident that we can make this long-distance relationship work. Don't go forgetting about me. I'll be back sooner than you think and I can't wait to see what adventure we'll have next.

Officially signing off from the most amazing adventure of my life,
Kirst

Casually Jumping Off Buildings And Riding Elephants

Ahhhh, hello!

So much to share about the adventures of Jaipur...

I'm very happy to announce that after a roundabout night with what seems to have been food poisoning, I'm back to actually eating and being my normal self again. Let's just say I won't be having chicken fingers in the near future.

Like every other thing I've experienced the past month, Jaipur has been incredible. We have done so many things that all of the days are running together and my mind, that hasn't slept in what seems like days, is going a mile a minute (or 1.60934 kilometers per minute, if we're talking Indian).

Thursday started with a traditional Indian greeting from the students and faculty from IIS. We introduced ourselves, had some small discussions, took a tour of the college, and hung out with students before heading back to our hotel to catch up on some much needed z's. After a long, afternoon catnap (I had only slept an hour the night before because of the unfortunate sickness...), we finally emerged from the hotel for dinner. I fell asleep as soon as we got back from dinner, so not exactly the craziest day.

Friday was probably the most absolutely absurd day of my entire life. The day began with me jumping off of a building... with nothing but a rope, a harness, and some gloves. Definitely not the safest thing I've ever done, but hey, when in India. The next activity was a yoga session, then we tie-dyed scarves, then we sculpted random things, then we got mehndi done on our hands. The craziness continued with a trip to a touristy Rajasthani village, which was basically the Indian version of Epcot.  We saw a magic show, watched various dancing, did some shopping, rode an elephant and a camel, and had dinner. The day was such a blur, but filled with all things lovely.

Saturday included a visit to Jaipur's City Palace, a crazy market where I spent waaaay too much money, and then dinner at the IIS students' homes. It was so great to meet up with them for a meal and be able to talk about all kinds of different things. We then headed out for a bit of dancing, which is always a major plus.

Today was ABSOLUTELY, FABULOUSLY AMAZING. We had an early start with a 9AM departure to Elephant Village, where we spent the whole morning and most of the afternoon with elephants. We greeted, fed, painted, rode, and washed them. By the end of the experience, we were sopping wet from the elephants shooting water at us while we were cleaning them, but it was completely worth it. Elefantastic (the actual name of the activities, not just my attempt at a pun) was one of the coolest thing I've done the past month.

After a nap and a cooking lesson, I'm back at the hotel, completely delirious. I need to pack, write some postcards, journal for the first time in what seems like years, and get a good night's sleep. One of those things isn't going to happen and I'm assuming it'll be the proper amount of rest. Plus, one of our Delhi friends made the trip to visit us in Jaipur, so we obviously have to catch up with him.

India is definitely getting the best of me at this point. I'm totally exhausted, mentally drained, and in dire need of waffles or pancakes. I'm not ready to leave India, but I think I'm ready to go home. I don't think that makes any sense, but it does in my head. Anyway, tomorrow is my last day here, and if there's anything tough to handle, it's that statement right there.

Here's to one more day of rickshaws, naan, and markets,
Kirst