For the more bullet-oriented folk: Last days in Kodai included (in no particular order):

Masala tea masala tea masala tea

Funny conversations with shop owners in gathering gifts (some of which I can’t 

find, now …. : [)

Mountain beauty—no rain my last week! (not that rain isn’t good)

Walks and runs up in the hills or down around Ganga and the lake

Family dinner at the Morrison’s and a little party with the dorm kids at Janice’s with the thought-out and obvious gifts from my students that they had been not-so-subtly hinting at throughout the week

Church at the chapel

Last days teaching and student scenes for Number the Stars

Lots of hugs and beautiful farewells ( I hope Beth sends me her little speech from assembly)
Rohaan: Can the boys get a group hug, too?! (girls their age still have cooties)

Last dinner with the basketball team at Aby’s

Prayer with men and women of God who I cherish

Compiling everything for Wheaton

Cooking dinner at a friend’s house—adventures of improvising and nearly poisoning our neighbor

Haircut and time with families we’ll miss

Packing L

Mini tour of Mumbai and the Indian reality once again because I had to take a taxi through Mumbai to the international airport from the domestic (mad at myself for getting ripped off because the men who “helped” with my luggage saw my larger bills and pretty much took them straight from my wallet; guess they needed it more!)

Interesting people on the planes, discussing the world and being confused for being Norwegian with a very American accent.

Back in the U.S.A.

Picked up by church family at the airport and welcomed by fall leaves. Ahh.

Love from friends and family who understand.

Church. Worship.

Visiting people and hearing about life.

Assignments bogging me down. Boo. But great to complete!

Education department/fellow student teachers. So great. Including dinner with the other student teachers who were overseas at our professor’s house for Swedish pancakes. Wow.

Run around little Jesse with my uncle and our adventure with our new, independent friend (dog)

Thanksgiving!! Praise the Lord for this indescribable gift (and those we can describe)

Family. And friends.

Soup and fruit and vegetables. Yum.

Sleep. Organizing.

Remembering I can’t “get it all together,” and that’s not even the goal.

Some of my postcards are just arriving in the states on my tail baha

Etc. etc. etc.

It’s December!!!

Honestly, it’s more strange this week than it was the first couple of weeks being back. It might be the throes of culture shock, or it could just be old insecurities or uncertainties creeping up and assaulting me. Probably a little of both (or a lot of both, since I’m dramatic).

Apparently, I should have been more careful or glowing in my first reports upon getting back (embrace the autumn leaves, jet-lag and confusion aside). Turns out, as we well know, people tend to latch onto the negatives. As the Spirit indwells us, our entire perspective changes—be transformed by the renewing of your mind—a large order in this last part of senior year of college—then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is: His good, pleasing and perfect will.

So that you know: I love Kodai, the mountain and the people there. It is gorgeous and incredibly quirky. I miss it.