hello! we are physically back home in the states and in that weird time warp where we don’t know what day or time it is and are existing purely on vibes.

i will be sharing detailed recaps of each of our stops over the next few months, but for today i want to share the overarching feelings from each place. most of this won’t make sense to anyone apart from sarah and myself and the people from each city, but it felt kind of necessary to share it this way.

from calcutta i want to remember: old and new friends; morning walks; evening drinks; scream-esh; afternoons spent shopping; terraces; 3am mutton biryani; the loveliest of dinners; park street lights; crazy santas; chai in ceramic cups; air snakes; discovering fortunes; learning about durga; and becoming goat herders.

from surat i want to remember: observing my mother and masi; the constant appearance of snacks; laughing buddha; gurajati thali deliciousness; indian idol and dance shows and the ubiquitous c.i.d.; aamras; camels and mickey mouse train rides; sisters chatting on the beach; a variety of bhajias; and guest starring in photo shoots.

from coimbatore i want to remember: seeing the city through sarah’s eyes; family lore; lunch planning chaos; who’s in which car; family time; pongal celebrations; cousin outings; walks around race course; observing the college students; and polar bear.

from bangalore i want to remember: the feeling of being home; cool weather; family celebrations; exploring new places with old and new friends; the farm; cubbon park; manju making tea; masala dosa; raju uncle; being made fun of by a 14- and 11-year-old; and a return to st. mark’s hotel.

from goa i want to remember: sunrises and sunsets; the calmness of the sea; being beach bums; seeing familiar faces; prawns in their many forms; jugaad; goan sausage naan; and catching our breath.

from bombay i want to remember: fish thali; saturday drives on the coast road; marathon cheering; milind soman’s mum??; being welcomed back to toto’s like an old friend; fashion is fashion; chor bazaar adventures with vinod uncle; gifts for other people but mostly for ourselves; and final dinner traditions.

and overall i want to remember: airport hilarity and inconsistency; making friends with watchmen; all i want is touch down; “oh, that’s veena”; goats and camels and dogs; a return to grid posting; and the birth of a new [hopefully annual] tradition.

we had an incredible time, and i look forward to sharing it in more depth with you soon!

xx