Camilla

Merry Christmas to my amazing family and friends, both old and new. I spending Christmas in my favorite city in India thus far: Jaipur. I have had so many incredible moments this trip exploring and as we celebrate this beautiful holiday I want to thank you all for reading my blog, sending me notes, emails, love, and prayers. Thanks to my parents who gave me money instead of gifts to ensure I would really enjoy my trip. I can’t wait to gift you these amazing things, so unique to this beautiful country. For the time being, your gift from me is a few more stories. 😉

 

I met Camilla my first day touring Jaipur. We only talked for 15-20 minutes, but she is a prime example of the wonderful people you meet while solo traveling. I’m not going to paint the picture rosy, for every Camila, there are 5 other creeps, weirdos, or strong personalities lining up to be met. That’s not just India, that’s life.

I had just wandered into Akbar Tomb and was in awe of the Rajasthani architecture, with it’s detailing to etching and little, overlooking balconies every where you turn. I clicked away with my camera, but was also just enjoying it. This is always a balance. I had just came from Madurai and Trichy where I had experienced a slew of heavy emotions while temple trotting, then I saw Camilla walking down the path. The worst part of solo traveling are selfies. My camera has the capacity to take gorgeous images, but trying to give a crash course to someone on how to work auto mode is frustrating.

 

I was feeling a good vibe from her, so I asked her to take my picture. She was patient, confident, and relaxed. She wasn’t in a rush like most people. She had in billowing, black harem pants, a sea foam green pair of converse, and a messy top not signature to yogis everywhere. Turns out she was a yogi from Vancouver who dreaded the commercialization of finding peace.

 

I’d guess she was 10 years my older. We chatted about moving to the eastern world, culture, energy, traveling, meditation, and changes she’d made since my age. There are some people that you just effortlessly click with.

 

Since on my trip I have made connections with people from Kenya, Indonesia, and obviously India. This is why traveling is fun, but for me this is why life is fun. I guess some people scare easily at the thought of throwing themselves into new experiences, but every time I meet someone, and make a connection, I realize how I’m being rewarded for putting myself out there.

 

I’ve gotten a decent amount of slack for traveling alone, so I felt like this post was needed. I’m not going to go on a feminist rant, but now that I have traveled for 15 days, my resolve stands similarly to the way it did at the beginning of this trip. I love people, I love talking them to them and finding what makes them tick, but it’s simple: make smart choices, and talk to the right people at the right times. Use intuition and relieve yourself from bad or potentially bad situations, because I’ve had my share of that too on this trip.

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I was riding alongside an opinionated cab driver probably my dad’s age on the way to Pushkar when the classic question came up: are you married? After answering no, I got the same question 5 minutes later. “Many girls in India are married by your age.” (Hahahahahaha, good thing I’m not from India.) So I tried to turn the table and asked how many do you have, which is hardly as obstrusive. I know they often mean no harm in asking this question, but everyone asks me this question, and on a purely observational level hints at a culture obsessed with marriage.

 

Aunties and uncles (what “elders” are called in India) are constantly asking, and this is something I experienced meeting friend’s indian parents back in the US. And if you think if it’s just the older folk who find marriage fundamental to societal contribution, Bollywood movies, which I love by the way, also feed the dream. I’ve been asked by dozens of guys my age so far, too, who probably have other intentions in asking.

 

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Want some naan with that ghee?

 

Naan is a traditional north indian bread that is one of my favorites, and eating ghee seems the other societal contribution has, according to these same uncles/aunties asking about marriage. The culture of India is changing, and running/working out is popular, especially in metropolitan areas, but the ghee obsession is still as popular as asking when in the near future you’ll be married.

 

Ghee is made from cow milk, similarly to butter. It is used as readily as Paula Deen used butter, pre-diabetes. In temples, ghee candles are burned.

 

When I went to a restaurant and ordered naan with no ghee or butter on top, the waiter did a second take. So, wait, you want bread without edible gold?? This is another reason I’m learning how to make indian food, because you can manipulate recipes to your taste and had how much ghee or how little aka none you want. I would say everything in moderation, but moderation and ghee don’t go in the same sentence.

 

I love indian food and culture and would never want to take a hit on these cultural quirks, but find them funny, and thought I would share.

Xoxo With shanti,

mel