A Recap: October

October began with Leh and learning to stand up for myself. It was Jaipur with Laila and Adam and the wedding. It was Diwali and the worst Diwali party of all time. It was recognizing that not all challenges are worth overcoming and choosing your battles because taking them all on would be impossible. It was learning to care for myself in the best ways I could and recognizing times that brought me energy and times that didn't. It was looking to the future and making sure that the girl that I become doesn't have to endure the same obstacles again. It was giving myself grace as if I were one of my sisters, or anyone else in my life really. Finally, it was the double take Laila and I got in Nature's Asshole (our unique nickname for the overprice, posh, and quite lovely organic store Nature's Soul).

It probably wasn't the worst Diwali party of all time, but that's how Laila and I retrospectively refer to this night. It was the night that we decided that we would never again stay somewhere we didn't want to be. The rest of Diwali, I should add, was very fun. I've never celebrated Diwali, but I loved watching the fireworks from the rooftop and eating good food with new people.

I took a trip to Leh, Ladakh at the beginning of October. I knew that I needed to reconnect with nature after being surrounded by a city that, even after a month seemed so foreign to me. I remember walking through the city of Leh a dorky grin and tears streaming down my face. It was the first time in India where I felt at home. I've always felt that way in the mountains, although I never realize how much I need to reconnect with that part of myself until it's been missing for a little bit too long. We set out to trek from Chilling to Stok for the weekend. It was ambitious. Halfway through the hike, where the picture on the left was taken, was at 16,000 feet with a 20 kg pack, and some wobbly legs, the steps up and over that pass were quite possible the hardest steps I've ever taken. When we returned from the mountains we were greeted with loads of chai, delicious Tibetan food, and for me, an itch to get back to those mountains as soon as humanly possible.

Laila and I met Adam in Jaipur a month after orientation. When I saw Adam in the airport I ran up and gave him a huge hug. It felt like seeing an old friend from home. The familiarity that I felt when we were all together was phenomenal. That night, we stayed up exchanging stories from our first month. We shared challenges, victories, and for myself at least, validation for getting to this point. The rest of that week, we explored Jaipur. We went to Amer Fort, shopped for antique silver in an alleyway off the main street. There we were surrounded by women exchanging their old jewelry. We all sat together on a carpet next to a glass full of old silver, searching through to find pieces that we wanted to take home. I loved Jaipur. Not just for the people I was with, but for the livelihood and creativity of the city. It was everywhere. The architecture brought the history of the state of Rajasthan to life in a way that preserves the culture despite the passage of time.

When we returned from Jaipur, I developed a full body rash and had to get a blood test. Unbeknownst to me, blood tests take place at your home! The morning of my blood test, I asked where it was. To that my housemate giggled and told me that they were coming to our apartment. What?! I tried to picture it occurring. Where it would be, and what equipment he would bring. I tracked him like an uber eats delivery as he got closer. I was confused because the icon was a motorbike. There was no way he was on a motorbike, I thought. When he rang the bell, I was still in shock that this was happening here. I opened the door to see the man who was to take my blood, with a large backpack riding low on his back, like I used to wear it in middle school when my mom told me I was going to have back problems for wearing it like that, but it was cool. He also carried a motor cycle helmet. He directed himself into the dining room where he instructed me to sit down, while he did the same. He then rifled through his backpack for all of his materials. As he pulled out the syringes and vials for my blood, it reminded me of my grandma pulling out old candy from the bottom of her purse. He mine as well have blown on them like she always did––to get rid of the lint that had accumulated over time. I took a deep breath and placed my arm on the table. I closed my eyes stuck me with the needle on top of the same table where I had just eaten breakfast––how bizarre. And as soon as he came, he tossed everything back into his bag and left. I still wonder if that really even happened. I guess I have pictures to prove it.

A week later, I was mostly recovered. I ran the Delhi Half marathon, where Laila met me at the end. We ate a celebratory breakfast afterward. I was just thankful for the opportunity to run a long distance outside. It's the little things.

The wedding.