dear friends,

i was ready to get moving from dharamsala, so i decided to go to spiti valley of himachal pradesh-it’s right by tibet.  i learned that hopping (more like hitch-hiking, bus rides, and trekking) from monastery to monastery doesn’t bore me. 

on the way to leh in jammu and kashmir, i saw lots of olmec and gandalf type faces in the mountains.  in leh, i learned that:  electricity is over-rated, bathing in cold rivers can be fun, and a gluten & lactose free diet is basically impossible in india. 

this is the first time i feel as though i’m exactly where i’m supposed to be in life (geographically and mentally).  in my mind, i could go back in my travels, freeze this moment, or fast-forward to new york and be perfectly content. 

LOVE,

a

p.s. i’m heart bangkok!

so, you will see in my pictures that i had stitches in my right pointer finger…that’s my excuse for not blogging in forever-plus i last minute took a 10 day tushita residential meditation retreat.  oh yeah, and it’s beautiful here:)

after agra i went to haridwar, where Vishnu is said to have left behind a footprint.  people go there to wash away their sins in the ganges river.  i spent one night there and then i took a 15 hour bus-ride (and smashed my finger) to dharamsala. 

HH the Dalai Lama lives here, and i’m very grateful to have prayed with him.  i’ve been here for almost a month, and it seems like it’s been a week. 

i will try to blog more often in detail.  in the meantime, here are some pics to catch you guys up.

by default, i took a bus to agra yesterday.  i wanted to go to nepal, but the recent changes in the india tourist visa wouldn’t allow me to re-enter india for two months. did i tell you this took a ridiculous amount of time to figure out-even with local friends helping me?  the u.s. embassy was giving me the run-around, and blahblahblah.  the lack of efficiency is getting to me.

ANYWAYS, i wasn’t sure if i was gonna make it to see the taj this time around (sometimes i think i’m too cool for partaking in cliche activities), but i’m so happy i did!  i didn’t know it was possible to get goosebumps in this silly heat.

i need to go figure out how i’m going to make my way up north.  

LOVE,

a

i have been staying with two beautiful people.  christine (i swear we were sisters a previous life), and her son jahmaal (whom is about to graduate from high school and start yoga teacher training).  many of you know i am so not a cat person, but jimmy is cool.  as you can see, he does his own thing, but likes to be where the action is.  

how did we meet?  when i was spring breakin’ it down in jamaica this past march i got a massage from oya.  oya listened to me while i was freaking out and calmed me down. oya and christine are friends-and poof!  here i am in christine’s guest room in south delhi. 

i have been spoiled here.