IAD --> AMS --> DEL -->IXL

hello hello hello!  i head out for india this afternoon and thought i would quickly post a little about where i will be spending my next ~3 months.

as some of you know, since i was about six years old, i have been telling my parents that 'when i grow up I'm going to be a biologist and save the snow leopards.'  whelp, 20 years later not much has changed.  today marks the first day of my trip to northern india to work with the Snow Leopard Conservancy India Trust (www.snowleopardhimalayas.org).

the whole process of getting to this point of departure has been pretty vague and filled with uncertainty - hence the use of the word ambiguity in the title of this blog.  though there may be more unknowns than knowns in this adventure, i am incredibly excited for what is in store over these next few months.

the town i will be spending most of my time in is Leh (shown in the map below) and it is located in the state of Kashmir at 11,500 feet at the base of some of the most incredible mountains in the world.  i am both excited and terrified at the same time but as my brother is good at reminding me this is the price of adventure.  and i dearly love adventure...

      

                                                                     

testing...testing

i've never blogged before so this is new.  this post is to get my feet wet and to figure this whole thing out. i hope this will be a convenient way to let all the people who are interested in my adventure in india how things are going.  i anticipate posting mostly pictures, mostly stories, and maybe some thoughts.

to begin... before i leave i am rereading one of my favorite books, east of eden by john steinbeck.  if you haven't read it - you should.  its truly phenomenal.  my dearest friend tori thompson posted this sweet letter on her blog that j. steinbeck wrote to his son. it was in response to a letter where his teenage son professed his love to a girl he met while in boarding school.  its very sweet and thought i would share it as well....

New York
November 10, 1958
Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First -- if you are in love -- that's a good thing -- that's about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don't let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second -- There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you -- of kindness and consideration and respect -- not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn't know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply -- of course it isn't puppy love.

But I don't think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it -- and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone -- there is no possible harm in saying so -- only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another -- but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I'm glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don't worry about losing. If it is right, it happens -- The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa