Maybe it's too early to reflect on this trip (i've only been back for 3 days), but i feel i need to - so hang on folks!

I had no preconcieved notions about what i wanted to do once i got there or what my expectations were for the 1 month stay. This was probably the best part about it - approaching it with an open heart and an open mind. I knew i wanted to experience Goa, but had a feeling (now proven correct) that the Goa we have come to know in the context of trance is 5-10 yrs past its glory. And that's OK, because this trip ended up being about much much more than just chilling on the beach and trancing out at night. But some of that too, of course :-)

After a week in Goa, around Christmas time, we hit the road and ended up visiting what must've been 10-12 unique places all over south India. Between the jaw-dropping temples, time spent with very distinct local people, hitting the seas on all sides, all that - this turned out to be one of the most interesting experiences ever.

It continually taught me, for there were times, when i felt i really knew very little beyond my eurocentric mindset. And you find yourself changing along the way too. Not only physically, but i gained a sort of spiritual comfort i never knew existed. I don't want to overemphasize things like that right now, it would be naive to, but amid the chaos that is life in India, you feel strangely serene and at ease - with others and importantly, with yourself. This stays with you - i hope it stays with me forever.

In my case, it was my first trip to a country so far removed from my perception of the way this world functions. This perception has now changed permanently. Or maybe, it's simply a clash between what you've learned about places like India throughout your life and the way it really is when you see it first hand - when you take in the customs, the history, religion, social structure and behaviors, and yes, eat the local food. Anyway, it feels as though my mind and spirit has opened up in ways that i have yet to comprehend.

And this brings up a whole other point - development. I've been a student of "how do we help developing countries" for some time now. And now i have a fuller understanding of what it's all about - yes, the west can offer up a great deal to help countries like India develop in physical ways, but such countries have a world to teach us in things that are much less tangiable - things that you feel, but cannot touch or explain. PTS Syndrome? Just gibberish? Maybe. But maybe some travellers out there will confirm it's not. Anyway, i feel it... and that's ultimately the point.

I guess I'll stop - this is part one. Writing helps me process things, and whoever read this - hope it was a worthwhile blog to read. There's plenty of lighter stuff to write about that happened - and of course - lots of pictures still to come!