The Return

I am back. After a 24hour door to door journey. I have arrived. I have returned.

Leaving a cold yet hopeful Sweden, I land in a hot and humid India.

And I love this face slap that actually is, landing in India. I see myself as well traveled and familiar with India – I mean have landed in India three times the past three years – yet still the queue in Customs took me for a surprise. A fully loaded BOEING plan from Dubai lands, yet there will be only one luggage scanner. There will be five personnel checking all passports. One little lady collecting your arrival card. I wasn’t prepared. And I love it. I love being humbled like this. Challenged to accept the situation and embrace it. I absolutely love it.

Moving on toward luggage collection means moving through a sea of people bumping carts, shoveling around to see where on the floor someone threw my luggage. This I remember. Looking at tourists stressing around, nervously searching for their priced luggage that is not on the conveyer belt makes me feel a little cooler. I got this. I find my bag and head out.

The heat hits me as I step out into the crowd of people waiting for their loved ones. It is a bit of a fight moving through the crowd and suddenly I feel someone grabbing my guitar. I look back and it is Bejoy, my dear friend who has come to pick me up. It has been a year, he looks well, smile beaming. We go to his car and he asks me if I am going to drive, since I am standing on the right hand side of the car. I forgot about the left hand traffic..

Outside the car window I see scenes from the Jungle book pass me by. The greenest palm trees swaying, rivers flowing, families walking. Men in lungis, women in saris. And, rickshaws swishing, horns honking, trucks roaring. It is hot, sticky and absolutely beautiful.

We get into town, walk into a lush little alley passing chicken, bicycles and children playing. I get settled into my house. I turn on the ceiling fan, I turn on the table fan. I put my feet up. My travel feet. They have yet not grasped that we are back in business, but they’ll get there.

Julia x

The Return