Small Victories and Big Laughs

I came to India to grow and it's only in looking back or small flashes in the present that I can see how much that has happened. I'm sure some wise person at some point has said something along the lines of "don't expect to come to India and not be changed". I am not the exception to this quote. This week has been rough, but I'm thankful for small victories. Here's a short but meaningful list:

• Eating like a regular person again
• Smoking hooka without coughing (well maybe only a couple times :P )
• Adding Rs 500 to my Indian cell phone (added it on Monday but didn't get added to my account, but with help of Amanda managed to communicate that I should have received it)
• Learning how to say goodnight "shubratri"
• Sticking up for myself at work and asking for more materials to complete my assignments

Along with victories and struggles comes thankfulness. It's good to relearn that my body is fragile. I am thankful to have a healthy body, for now, that allows me to see new places and meet new people. I am so incredibly thankful for the many kindnesses of Amanda and Ece for taking care of me while I was sick. I am thankful for bananas. I am thankful for Bible- that I don't have to just rely on a voice inside my head to know the will of the Father. I am thankful for the monsoon rains and winds that have cooled down the weather, making it bearable to lay inside for several days. Which reminds me how thankful I am for ceiling fans- kudos to the entrepreneur of that. And I am thankful for moments that make me laugh out loud- whether a funny comment from a friend or one of the ridiculous cows roaming around.

Here are some funny moments from the last couple weeks:

Amanda driving a rickshaw 

Holy Cow! Harharhar...

Wasn't sure what I would get ordering a chocolate muffin in India

To my giggles of goats walking down one of the busiest streets in Jaipur, my Indian friend asked "you don't have this in the US?"

Yes, it requires three men to drive a rickshaw with 3 foreign girls in it