Woah, India

After two days of travel, a partial mental breakdown, and Russia, I finally landed in New Delhi. The sensory overload started the second the doors opened. The first thing you notice is the smell, which isn't sewage, or spices, but rather smoke. Come to find out, New Delhi is one of the most polluted places in the world and that fact is undeniable upon arrival. THE EPA MATTERS DONALD TRUMP YOU DOUCHE. It isn't overwhelming, in fact it's almost exactly like starting a fire in your house without first opening the fluke. It's a hazy mist, like an early morning fog but dirty and dry.

After finding my driver I was led to a jeep and my adventure officially began. In India, the lines in the road are more of a suggestion than anything and everyone drives rather aggressively. Those motorcycle men are either the bravest men I'ved ever seen or the dumbest--it just seems like unnecessary risk to me, like WHY MUST YOU DRIVE BETWEEN THE ROAD BLOCK AND A SEMI WHERE DO YOU NEED TO GO THAT BADLY? My driver was the sweetest, and offered me lots of important information about my upcoming trip. That being said, I couldn't actually understand anything he said and after two days of no sleep the very best I could do was just to nod along. At one point he very clearly said "SUBWAY" and as I'm typing this I am realizing he probably didn't mean the sandwich shop. Thankfully, my response "sounds good" works for both sandwiches AND transportation! He handed me a packet and directed me to read it for vital information about the trip. On page one is a long monologue telling me that to really appreciate India, I had to forget everything I heard about it, **cue flashbacks of "India's Daughter"**

I'm still getting used to the time change, and I'm exhausted as I write this but I promised myself I would catalog this journey and that is where I am for the day. Today was actually incredible, and the people I'm staying with are these two LOVELY ladies named Carol and Margaret. They're from the UK and each of them are in their mid-70s. They're still killing it though, and I'm so grateful for their guidance and camaraderie. Margaret is an artist and Carol is a former chemist. Sweet Margaret can not handle the tuk tuks, and it just makes me love her more.