Dreaded Illness

Hello everyone. I finally got sick here in India. I was getting a little cocky so I guess it was time. I am feeling much better as I write this but the last 42 hours have not been fun. I have never felt like I did here. But lets back up a bit. I saw two excellent concerts on the Ganges. There was an amazing sitar player whose name I cannot pronounce but is very well known around here. Really a privilege to see him. A few great vocalists as well. I am amazed at the number of coincidences that are occurring in my travels. Someone is watching out for me up there. At the concert I just happened to meet a German girl named Dima who just so happened to be staying directly across the hall from me at my new guesthouse. A decided to move here because it is way cheaper and just as good, very close to my sitar lessons too. Me and Dima walked back to the guesthouse, and 20 minutes later the sickness hit. I will spare you all the details. I think it was food poisoning, maybe some bad chai. But Dima was so amazing yesterday all day, checking in on me and bringing me water and bananas and making sure I was still alive. I am so thankful. But you really start to miss home when your sick. I just kept thinking about how much I wanted to be in my comfortable bed. I called my parents a few times and I was really missing them. I guess it is a normal thing, but I am looking forward to returning to America when I do. I am starting to consider cutting the trip a month short and coming back for thanksgiving, I keep thinking about pumpkin pie and turkey...and organized traffic... so many things that I miss. Although I am having such an amazing experience. I just think I will be ready in another month, and traveling definitely wares you down after a while. I am so proud of what I have accomplished so far on my own, and I don't think there is anything to be ashamed of if I were to come back in November. So, I will think it over in the coming weeks. I have 4 more days in Varanasi after tonight, then on to Haridwar and Rishikesh, then Shimla and Dharamsala (home of the Dalai Lama) after that. Getting my fill of music here and will soon ease my mind in the Himalayas and ponder the meaning of life in mediation... or something like that. So thankful to everyone keeping up with this blog so far, it is very touching to know that so many people are interested. As they say here, Shanti Shanti.