One week countdown.

I'm preparing to leave for my second trip to Kolkata, India.  The plane departs on 17 August at 10:55 am from Seattle, WA and arrives in Kolkata, India at 8:40 am on 19 August.  I will be there for one month. 

This is now officially my India blog.  I will be using this blog during each of my trips, which I'm sure will be many.  At this point in my life, I imagine that the main subject of this blog will be volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India.  I've fallen in love with Kolkata and with the children I work with at one of the Missionaries' orphanages, Shishu Bhavan.  I may branch out at some point and spend more significant amounts of time in other areas of India, but for the moment, I'm comfortable considering Kolkata my base of operations.

There are a number of blogs from my first trip to Kolkata already posted here.  I had begun using LiveJournal to write about my first trip to Kolkata, but LJ seems to have phased quite a bit as of late, so I'm moving on.  I've copy/pasted most of my entries from LJ onto here, to give everyone a bit of background as to why I need to go back to Kolkata.  I have left out the bits about Thailand and Darjeeling because, while both of those places were beautiful, they didn't really have the same draw for me as Kolkata and a few of the other places I visited.  Feel free to read them at your leisure; many of you who are reading this have likely already had conversations with me about my reasons for returning.

One month is definitely not enough time to do everything I feel I need to do, to deal with all of the emotions that need to be dealt with, and that scares me.  Throughout the preparation process, I have of course been excited, but I have also felt a lot more scared than I had the first time around.  I know that this is something that is necessary for me and that I will be better for it, but I am intimidated by my time limit.  

But don't get me wrong.  I am so thankful for the fact that I am getting any time at all in Kolkata.  I am really lucky to have that option open to me.  I also know that not everything has to be done now and that I have my whole life ahead of me to do what I need to do.

And, friends, I am so excited to open myself up to that love again.  I know now that making myself vulnerable in Kolkata has opened me up to love so much more no matter where I am.  I am excited to push myself again so that my love for humanity can grow that much more.  This will be good.  

Here I go again, kids.  Thanks for being there with me.

Pyaar se,

Melissa

PS - To all my fellow Bollywood fans:  You know that I am SO excited to get caught up on all of the new songs, movies, and stars that are big right now.  I'll be sure to give you all updates on that as well.  Om Shanti Om!