So... Here I am on my last day in the UK, about to go to India. Tomorrow I catch a flight from Heathrow at 10.30am and arrive in Mumbai the day after. Exciting... and scary at the same time!
Last night I had some farewell drinks in the Chandos Pub in London to say bye bye to some good friends. It was a really nice gathering, with people coming and going as the evening wore on. I felt a huge sense of gratitude to everyone who was there wishing me on. Thank you to Stuart (who inspired the whole trip in the first place!), Anita, Tanya, James, Andy, Kobna, Sarah, Sara, Sarah-Louise (I know a lot of Sarahs. Thank God they all spell their names differently!), Jeremy and Suzannah and to all those who couldn't be there but sent me good wishes. And thanks Tanya and James for that beautiful gift of the book!
As I sat with everyone and we drank and chatted and laughed into the evening I felt very lucky. This has been a big 18 months for me. I have been looking forward to this experience for a long time. But over this last week I have had real doubts - partly, no mainly because over the last four or five months I have grown so close to so many people. When I made the big decision to leave I had none of those things, or at least I thought I didn't. I was very unhappy. Now I am freer life is richer, more meaningful and I have grown to love many people. Its hard to suddenly let go of what you have wanted for so long just when you have got it. So to all those special to me - here is a big, sentimental hug!
So what advice can I give everyone on the lead up? How can I help if you are getting ready to go to India? Well first of all, don't panic about all the health advice you will be given. I have no idea how I will fare out there but the Mt Everest of Dos and Don'ts I got almost killed me! This is not to say I wasn't grateful, but at a certain point I started to think I was going to fall ill and die as soon as I stepped off the plane. I still want to say thank you to everyone for their advice as I am going to follow it, but in the stress of getting everything together I almost burst a fuse! Although I have to say that some of the advice has already done wonders for me. Acidophilus, for instance, is a miracle! I was advised to take it to boost the stomach's defenses and I have to say, even before going I am feeling great! So have a go at that!
I am stocked up with conventional remedies, herbal remedies, homeopathic remedies etc so by the time I return I will be a walking encyclopaedia of therapies and will be able to argue with Richard Dawkins or take his side next time he fires off about alternative medicine. It will be fun.
There's a lot of debate about whether or not to get the jabs needed for the journey. I did. Others don't. I think its a good idea but I will warn you that if you are going for as long as I am (six months) make sure you start the process a long time in advance. If you don't, as I did, they cram them all in in the time available and with all the different vaccines swirling around in you you will most likely get ill, which is what happened to me. Thank God someone knew the drill and told me what it was, as had I not know, I would have thought there was something seriously wrong with me!
Fortunately for me, I have a cousin who is a veteran backpacker around India. She saved me probably about a week of dithering by taking me around various shops and stocking me up with the right kind of gear. Everyone should have advice like that! She was brilliant. She saved me loads of money on backpacks, equiptment, which kind of elephant gun to buy (I'm joking, of course, it was just a revolver) and so on... Equally fortunate for me, I have many friends with contacts out there who have put me in touch with people all round the country who I can meet who have offered to show me around. So its great. Thank you Gillie, Michel, Eleanor, Luli, Gerry, Venu, Shobna, Hema, Christine, Leonora, Ritu and everyone else. You have been great!
Its going to be a real adventure.
And as I prepare to do my last minute.com packing, I will leave you with this beautiful quote from my friend James about travelling. He got it from his father. Its a great sentiment to have ringing in my ears as I head off:
"On your travels, there are no enemies, only friends you have yet to meet."
Thank you all! And speak to you soon!
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