This morning we said an early goodbye to the Redlands kids and some of the XIME staff before leaving for Mumbai. Our flight was great! The Kingfisher girls are gorgeous! ☺
We did and saw so much in Mumbai, but I wish we could’ve stayed longer and explore some of the entertainment business if that was possible! Highlights of the day were walking/driving along the Arabian Sea, visiting the Gateway of India, drinks in the Taj Mahal Hotel, and shopping for a shawl for my mom!
My favorite stop was to a townhouse that used to belong to Ghandi’s friend and former law school colleague. Whenever Gandhi came to Mumbai on any kind of business, he would stay at this house on the second floor, which has been kept as a museum, library, and monument dedicated to him. You can still walk out on the old tiled balcony where he used to address crowds in the street and see where he labored on his own homespun clothing. It was a rush to be literally in the footsteps of such a great man. I’ll never forget it!
Before leaving, we had one final meal and I bought some cigarettes on the street to sneak home for my brother. In the airport, I used my first-class ticket to raid the president’s lounge of all non-perishable snacks to give to our group for the flight home. We shared some drinks and boarded to plane. It all seemed kind of surreal. Fifteen hours later I was home, but I wasn’t ready to go. There are countries you can spend a week in and see it all. What makes India so special is that, even though I’ve had the time of my life over the past few weeks, it would take almost a lifetime to experience everything India has to offer. I’ve promised myself I will be back one day to continue this adventure, whether its for work, school, or just to travel. For now, though, I have class in the morning… Goodnight!