Adventures in India: Week 1

One of the coolest things about working remotely is that you can visit amazing places across the world. All you need to do is make sure you have internet access.

In the coming four weeks I’ll be operating from Rishikesh, India, a remote town on the northernmost outskirts of the country. Quite close to Nepal, in fact. And I find it interesting how, in less than 24 hours after arrival, I feel it is so similar to Santa Teresa, Costa Rica.

There have been some interesting occurrences since arriving. Odd dejavú moments where I meet someone for the first time, but I almost want to say to them “We’ve met before, right?”. I don’t know if that’s a sign that I was here in a past life or if we were connected in some way spiritually, or if it’s just sleep deprivation making me think differently.

But I trust that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. And that the people I will meet as part of my 200-hour yoga teacher training course will become good friends!

Some takeaways I’ve had during my first week in India that are worth sharing:

• Horns can be awesome, not menacing. I find that the use of horns, and even the sounds that they play, can be quite musical. It creates this lovely background sound to any traffic jam that’s quite hard to explain to someone.
• Solo travelers often find each other. This happened to me yesterday over dinner when I decided to treat myself to a meal on my own. Well, not for long! A brief introduction turned into an invitation to join a group of travelers. Their friendliness was warm and welcoming.
• Weddings…what can I say to summarize my experience of the Indian wedding I attended? And the food?! Probably just that you should never underestimate the power of a celebration of a matrimony to bring together really cool people all in one place. And that I freakin LOVE that I can eat wheat here and not have an allergic reaction.

As I reflect on the time of saying good-byes to my family, friends, and colleagues in Minnesota and meet new people every day, I am reminded that there are a lot more nomads out there like me. People who left their jobs to find something better, others who have a more defined path for themselves and are taking concrete steps toward that vision, and others still who lack the support from their family to travel internationally.

I’m so grateful that I have the support of my family in being abroad. Or even if they’re not supportive, they’re at least willing to let me go out and fail. It’s the greatest gift that a daughter could ask for.

If you’re curious to come along for the journey, or have recommendations of spots I should check out in Delhi or Rishikesh before I depart, I invite you to follow Mezclada on Instagram, sign up for the newsletter, and/or drop me a line (hello@mezclada.co)!