Wow, It's October

Well, I've made it through my first full month in India. As you'll probably be able to get a sense of, by reading back through this blog, the first couple of weeks were kind of a whirlwind but i've really started to settle into my new surroundings by now. I've got a pretty healthy but gentle routine and rhythm to my days and weeks that I feel pretty good about. So far it seems like I'm able to balance work and relaxation, socialising and reflecting pretty well. It's been a month of struggles and challenges, of failures and triumphs, some loneliness and lots of new relationships. This has already been a trip of self-discovery and transformation; I'm sure that I'm already a very different person than I was when I left the States.
When I think about the fact that it's October, I realize that in New Jersey the leaves are changing, and a certain smell and chill are entering the air. In Kerala, it's still sunny and warm (it was 85 when I woke up this morning) and green, and that's unlikely to change anytime soon. Autumn has always been my favourite time of year, and when I think about apple- and pumpkin-picking, hot cider, long hikes through the woods near my home, and the million other fond memories and sensory perceptions I have of fall in the northeast US, I start to get a little sad and homesick. But I have to remember that yes, I'm going to be missing fall in New Jersey... but I may never have the opportunity to spend an October in India again! And of course there are things that i could be doing in the States that I'm going to miss out on; memories that I'm not making-- but I'm making memories here that will last a lifetime! I'm doing things here that I would never have had the opportunity to do if I had stayed home. Like I keep saying, I think that if i can hang on to my sense of wonder at being here and make the most out of everything I do, no matter where I am, it'll be a good year and a good life.
But some apple cider sure would be tasty...