40 years- The abridged version

So Chiara and I decided that we were a bit too road weary at the 7+ month mark to take on a large chunk of southern India by bicycle. At the advice of our magnificent hosts in Bangalore we decided to take a train a bit north to the small village of Hampi, the home of a magnificent ruins of an early kingdom of India that is spread out over an amazing, rocky, dusty, yet lush landscape, a landscape that is completely unique from anything I have seen.  Imagine dropping a lazy river/tropical banana plantation into the middle of Joshua Tree National Park and that will begin to inform the stark beauty of this place Chiara and I had never knew existed prior to our arrival. 

  

    

Pictures from Hampi

After wandering happily for two days through the ruins we hopped another train and stopped over in, what is for most westerners, just a place you change trains on your way to somewhere else, the town of Hubli. Thanks to another awesome warmshowers host named Vivitt and his family we had a fantastic one night stay and were exposed to some amazing culture. He took us to the national Indian flag making factory, I know what your thinking, beacuse we also were feeling 'O...K, sure. We don't have any other plans.'  But what we discovered could not have been further from our expectations.  On the grounds of a big government funded textile factory we found amongst somewhat dilapidated buildings, women of all ages working hand powered 'machines' that took raw cotton, from local fields, and through spinning, looming, dying, and sewing they made beautiful products ranging from the beforementioned national flags to clothing, wraps, and blankets.  The place is as it was 50+ years ago when it was founded if not a little worse for the wear.  Many of the families live on the grounds and their children can be educated for free there also.  It was like truly finding that diamond in the rough that every traveler hopes to stumble upon...a timeless treasure of disappearing arts and crafts being kept alive by a few. We felt so lucky to have been able to share this place and time.  

 

  

The material production center in Hubli, they make the cotton clothing popularized by Ghandi, they are also the only place that can make Indian flags in the country

We finshed our mini vacation within our vast travel year by taking a final bus to Gokarna, a wonderful little beach town historically known as a holy site with many temples overlooking the ocean and a spot for local Indians to take a nice weekend getaway. More recently a smattering of westerners, such as us, have started visiting as an alternative to the busy, touristy beaches slightly to the north. They vary from 'banana hammock' wearing Europeans to dreaded new-age types of All ages. Posters proclaiming daily yoga, reiki, meditation, and Ayurvedic healing were all around.  The vibe was relaxing and chill. No overbearing touters yelling at you to buy their bangles and bobbles (there actually were many stalls but they all were reserved and took our 'no thank yous' for an answer).  All this leads me back to truly why I started write this post...40 years and counting.  While spending a few nice, quiet nights in this beach town with Chiara I passed my 40th birthday with no fanfare or celebration sitting on some rocks watching the sunset over the ocean with the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life beside.  We talked, we took pictures, we walked, we planned and we laughed.  

  

 

  In and around this quiet 'mini-break' I was finishing a session of yoga on the beach when I blissfully turned my head to the right a caught a glimpse, no more like 'full frontal' view of a local Indian man squatting maybe 50 meters away, bare-assed and relieving himself on the sand.  This was followed only 50 meters to his side by another gentleman facing me, urinating.   Still with a big smile on my face all I could think was, 'ha...what if those new age hippies caught a glimpse of this on their 'enlightened' beach!?'  I smiled once more to myself and jumped into the waves.  So content and not sure why? What I began to realize was, I am really, really happy. I have great family, great friends, a great partner and a great life.  Unlike my younger years of searching for that perfect place and the perfect situation to effect my life, I don't need this place, as nice as it is (with or without the beach evacuation) or any other to bring me joy.  I all at once I loved these people for being who they were, that is normal Indians whose nation, we found from our hosts, has a serious dearth of per capita toilets all while being a world nuclear power nation, and who often must relieve themselves wherever they are due to lack of good alternatives.  Along with them I had to also accept the shoeless, ragged clothes dread heads walking around with their smart phones and the loud, demanding western travelers who get upset every time things are not 'up to their standards'.  Don't get me wrong, India, at times, could test the patience of the most zen individuals,  but what I am getting at is my world is not better because I live in this place or that, it is better because I am content and know and accept myself.  Now I have loads of flaws and things left to learn, that is what this amazing journey has taught me.  But no longer am I feeling lost, adrift in a foreign world hoping to find the 'right place' that will cause it all to make sense.  I feel attached to all these places and people we have visited as well as the place I call home.  I feel like a teacher and a student, an adult and a child, someone finally ready to accept all the love and beauty of the people and things that surrounds him everyday.  

So finally to end this oration and move forward into the next 40 years of discovery I want to say a simple Thank You to all of you reading this blog and following Chiara and my adventure. To those that have been by my side, through good and bad, all these years. To mom, dad, my sister and to my amazing nieces and nephew for always making me smile. To my friends past, present and those that I have yet to meet. And to my present partner and future wife (yup...Chiara and I are getting married in August!), I can only hope I have brought a small bit of the joy to your lives that you have brought to mine.