Another valiant effort at blogging...

...and at least I have a predominant theme this time - hopefully that will keep me motivated.  Those of you who know me well, know that every time I start a new blog, I have a great time for about 5 days, get rave reviews (not to toot my own horn or anything), and then abandon the pursuit in a sad submission to laziness and apathy.  I'm not going to pretend that I can make it different on my own this time; I'm going to need your help.  Whether in the form of endless Facebook spamming, or a e-mail genuinely expressing your sincere regret that I "haven't posted at all in the past week", I will sincerely appreciate your prodding in the next 6 or so months.

"So India, eh?  That's.....interesting.  What made you decide to go there?"

"I dunno, I really wanted to get some overseas studying in before I graduate, and I thought that as a developing country, India is a sensible choice that coincides with my ID ambitions."

That's a pretty accurate overview of 9 out of 10 conversations I've had in the last two months or so.  Admittedly, my response to the question has been pretty cliche.  How genuine has it really been?  Well, the first part is kinda bogus.  I really don't care whether I travel in the form of a study abroad, or as your average early-20's backpacker - I just want to get out there.  The second portion of my response, on the other hand, has an element of truth to it.  I personally think that it's pretty sad that despite spending 4 years learning about developing countries out of textbooks, I really haven't spent a good chunk of time in one, getting first-hand experience.  Academically, the trip should be profitable, specifically as an essential compliment to the valuable things that I've learned in the ID program (or will they end up being a valuable compliment to the trip I'm about to embark on?  I have a feeling that's what's going to transpire). 

But is there more to it than that?  Surely there is.  Have I figured out what?  Not really.  I'm definitely looking to grow spiritually, and I'm fairly sure that God's been telling me that He's going to teach me wonderful things through the Indian people.  Materially speaking, I really feel like I've lived the past 21 years in a North American box, spoon-fed and spoiled.  I don't think a half-year visit to South Asia is going to allow me to extract more than a sliver of understanding of how an everyday resident of that region lives and what they go through, but I'm hoping that that sliver will be enough to make me put my own life and ambitions in perspective, and come closer to determining what's really important.

So stay tuned.  I've got 2 more sleeps in my comfy bed in the Haliboo, and then I'll be living out John Denver's "Leaving on a Jetplane", minus the "babe don't let me go" part.  Itinerary details to follow in the next couple days, time allowing.

- Tom