The journey before the journey

It is strange to think that two months from now I will be living in a different country.

I was coming home from a night out with a friend on Friday night... a glorious dinner at Oyamel complete with pomegranate margaritas and my favorite rice made with black mushrooms and mexican soft cheese. Anyway, it was the first truly warm evening of the spring, and I was driving home on the highway with the windows down. As I drove into my neighborhood I was suddenly intoxicated by hundreds of cherry trees in bloom. I pulled over by the lake that is right by my house, and sat there for a while in the darkness, feeling very nostalgic.

I have never been an exraordinarily sentimental person about the U.S. I have my issues with this country, and I will talk about them unabashedly. But as my time comes to leave, I find myself really valuing certain things here. The fact that I know just where to go to get anything I need. And that I *can* buy anything. But I realized the other day that I don't have the first clue where I would go to buy mascara in Bangalore. Never mind that I am sure I will have to give up on wearing only Stila and Laura Mercier cosmetics when my stash runs out. And peanut butter? Can one get Skippy brand crunchy peanut butter? I guess I will eventually have to seek out the help of some expats whove been there a while and have sniffed out the location of some of the essentials.

And before you ask, yes, I adore Indian food. But let's face it, I am sure I will crave the same things there which I crave at home. Which leads me to ask... what are my chances of finding a nice crisp dill pickle? Or hickory smoked bacon. Oh my god... bacon. Don't get me started. And where will I shop for shoes? Don't tell me everywhere. I think there might be a difference between what I am thinking about and what you have in mind. I mean Kenneth Cole. I mean genuine leather with a 3 inch stiletto heel. No chance of there being a DSW in Bengaluru, is there? Illa? Thought not. Yes I know there are high end boutiques. I need something just a little more affordable than Ferragamo (but it's nice to know I can still go and drool over something on the weekends).

No I am not so materialistic that those are the only things I will miss. I will miss my friends. I cannot even focus on that right now, because I have never been apart from them for more than a month. I will miss my family. I will miss being able to drive. I will miss the security of knowing where I am going. Of driving on autopilot because I instinctually know the way. I will miss that I do not have to calculate time zones to talk almost everyone I love. I will miss meeting the girls for dinner or brunch or coffee or Desparate Housewives. I will miss my job. I will miss not living in a city.

But despite it all, I am excited. It is a new phase of my life. A wonderful opportunity to begin a new life. Not many people get this chance. It took a lot for me to decide to take it.

Now to tackle the job of sorting out a lifetime of belongings.
Note to self: where the hell did you get all this shit????