Sitting in Barb and Ray Klein's kitchen. Surrounded by photographs, Lucy the Escape Artist Cat and the crisp exchanges between Barb and Carol, Barb and Ray, interspersed with fond pats on the head and the river flow of remembrances... oh it's just so beautiful.
We arrived here in the heart of Carol's childhood. She went to high school here and got into trouble for not handing in assignments. Cycled and went oh-a-adventuring in the forest, had and still has such great friends. We met Dave, Martha and Martha, Dan for lunch - great potato and corned beef soup at Shannon's - met Joe's elder brother at the corner of the street. We walked a windy block or two in the warmth of catching up conversation and a soft soothing sun.
My impressions of America from movies and books are coming to life especially here. There is a part of me that keeps asking me: "Why do you want to associate the real thing to movies or books or something that you heard of? What's wrong with letting this whole experience be new and fresh?"
I don't have an answer. Except that it is! All new and all amazing. I guess I'm still not out of the amazement of actually being here!
So, how did we arrive here? The last I posted was a forgotten late post in Noblesville, Indianapolis, Indiana. It's been a whirlwind - we sure did choose a fitting name! So, yes, it's been a whirlwind of places, distances, cities, towns, districts and villages. The grounding and centering points have been people. Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Flip in Ann Arbor. Alok, Anjali, Rishi and Rohan in Cincinnati. Aunt Mary Ann, Nolene, Andy, Bruce and Pam in Noblesville. Emily in Purdue, W Lafayette and now this whole bunch of great people in Glen Ellyn. Today we go to meet Race Car Uncle Dave and definitely sometime in these 4 days, Cyrus and family.
I am also discovering the different kinds of food - the absolute abundance and deliciousness of food. So let's see Indian, GREAT home food at Manna-Rahul's snazzily outfitted kitchen, Chinese - brown chicken at Sammy's, shrimp and lobster chowder - Boston, Lebanese at Taza, Cleveland, Daughters' Homecoming Goulash, hamburgers, corn on the cob, yummilicious pie and yoghurt icecream, decaf coffee at Aunt Jeanie's, all American Football Game Hotdogs at the Michigan Game - GO BLUE!!
IHOP brunch on arrival at Cincinnati. Wholesome, sensorially delightful large salads prepared in Anjali's french farm kitchen, Thai and then our own home grown prep of Goan fish curry, rava fry prawns and garlic butter prawns and PUMPKIN PIE!!! Nolene's high power horseradish, mustard and sausage sandwich and Mexican at Noblesville. And finally Irish food at Glen Ellyn. And I was done for!!! My stomach understands what happens to friends and family when they arrive in India and FEED!! Thanks to Barb's and Carol's timely intervention - good ol' Tumms, I was saved. Lots of sleep and reiki helped too.
We are ready now to meet Chicago. The greatest thing about our trip is that there is so much that is possible. 'How will we do this trip? Where are we going to stay? How much time will it take to get there?' are questions that floated around vaguely in my consciousness when we were planning it. Cell phones and GPS are actually helping convert these into reality. We have connected and re connected with people - old friends and family. Old haunts - driving on I 80 W to Chicago, Carol remembered the Dunes. I checked it out on the Rand McNally and we programmed Pocahontas to take us there. She told us it's only 11.5 miles from where we were. We turned into the next exit and hey presto we arrived at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore - the bluest waters I have seen. This was one of the Great Lakes that I had only seen as one of the petals of a flower formation of water on the map of North America. Lake Michigan - blue, cold, flecked with sea gulls, surrounded by sand, the Chicago skyline and the smoke of industrial Gary. We took pictures of a wind surfer who scoffed the seeming gale force wind as nothing and was out there flying, sailing, surfing into the deep deep blue of my imagination.
So with a few detours, some late arrivals and golden sunrises in pink blue skies as they fold over brilliant moons, we are on our way.
Who's joining us?
Love,
Komal
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