The First 24

In less than 24 hours + in India, I have done the following:

1. Given my prepaid taxi receipt to the driver BEFORE he took me to my destination

2. Forgot to pack my hand sanitizer in my day pack and then had to eat lunch with my hands

3. Ate an amuse-bouche made of dates, coconut and a bunch of unknown ingredients from a street vendor. There was a definite basil hang around taste

The good news is despite of all of this I did make it to my hotel safely and I have yet to feel ill or be kicked out of the country for breaking any major cultural rules. Score!

A highlight of the first 24 was the Mumbai Magic tour i took with two local high school age Indian guides and an art curator from North Carolina. The whole experience felt a bit like girls day out, discussing food and fashion while checking out the Gateway to India and the High Court.

The pinch-me-I-am-really-here moment for me came when we visited the Mani Bhavan Gandhi Sangrahalaya where Mahatma Gandhi lived and worked. He was actually arrested from a tent outside of the home in 1932. The house is now a museum of his life and his impact on India. 

Throughout the house are quotes about non-violence and the power of all people to have a voice. The quote seemed especially appropriate for this moment.

"There comes to us moment in life when about some things we need no proof from without. A little voice within us tells us, "You are on the right track, move neither to the left or the right but keep to the straight and narrow way."

Side note: For those of you aware of my unexpected short haircut, you should know that what I thought would happen, has happened. The Mumbai Magic guide told me that, I look like a poodle.

Au Revior

Its time to go. I have been quite confident that this experience is the perfect thing for me to do at the perfect time in my life. However, now that the day of departure has come and it is actually time to drag my suitcase full of donations to the airport along with my Teca bag filled with Girl Scout patches and toilet paper, I am starting to wonder what I have gotten myself into. 

I am amazed that in just 20 short hours, I will be in Mumbai, negotiating taxis, changing money and guessing if I will actually meet Farida at 10am at the Gateway to India for my walking tour. Note to self: no need to freak out, all of that happens in a few days.

My friends here in the ATL have been wonderful, giving me lots of hugs and words of encouragement. I have enjoyed several meals of amazing macaroni and Jimmy John's sandwiches.

At the Tennessee Aquarium with Mom & Dad

I guess all that's left is to grab the passport and embrace change! 

Au revior, mes amis! 

The Jimmy John's girls

Girl Scout gal pals with special guest GTodd!

One Week and a Few Hours

This weekend my boyfriend, MM, and I are off to meet my parents for the hand off of the donations. Since MM and I wont see each other for five weeks, I am looking forward to the car ride. MM and I have very complicated schedules. It will be nice to be just the two of us and Interstate 75.

In an effort to mark tasks off my never ending "To Do" list, I have been tying up loose ends at the office and farming out my Girl Scout obligations. In a note to my Lime Green Giraffe staff, I wrote, "I think I have wanted to visit the Sangam since I was in the 4th grade." This is a very true statement. I was about nine years old when my Girl Scout leader, Gloria Null, introduced us to the World Centers of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts and the seed was planted. 

So, in one week and a few hours, I will be on my way to India and creating that chapter in my own story that I have thought about since I was at third-grader in the basement of my troop leader's house. (AHHHHH!). 

Random note: I saw this piece of art in a bathroom and somehow it felt a bit like an anthem for this whole India-Sangam experience.

Girl Scout Friends are Forever

My friend T and I. Circa: Post 1994

My friend, T and I met in 1994 in Savannah, Georgia. We were both Senior Girl Scouts participating during a Wider Opportunity (I am really dating myself with the classic Girl Scout terms). We were part of the event called Passport to the Past. The event gave us and our chaperones or in my case, my Mom, first hand glimpses into what life was like in the south when Girl Scouts of the USA founder, Juliette Gordon Low, was a child. 

During the event, we played period parlor games, pressed flowers, created wax holiday ornaments and got a first hand look at a corset. I think everyone both young and old were glad we were part of the bra wearing era!

In the evenings, we learned traditional dances. Oh, if I could only remember the names of the dances.

I think it was during one of the dance lessons that T and I started talking.

She was from a small town in upstate New York. I of course was from the small town of C. We were both working on our Girl Scout Gold Awards and contemplating life after High School. I think we met at the perfect time to become life long friends. So much was about to happen in our lives. When our Passport to the Past ended, we exchanged addresses (again, so old school) and headed on our separate long car rides home. 

We did keep in touch over the years via snail mail. Now of course we talk though phone calls, text messages and email. We have visited each other a few times. I was lucky enough to be a bridesmaid when she married P.

Today, we are both still active in Girl Scouts. She is the leader for her beautiful daughter, M's troop. T is always sharing the fun activities that M is doing in Girl Scouting including a recent stint at horse summer camp. 

I am grateful for my friendship with T. She is a straight shooter and someone I know I can count in the Girl Scout and in the non-Girl Scout times.

My wish is that someday her daughter gets the chance to go on a destination and meet a friend from across the country that will always stand by her like her mom has stood by me.

So, why am I tell you all about T? Well, in my Christmas box from her this year, I found two boxes of Girl Scout cookies to take with me to the Sangam and to share with the women that I meet there. I think its cool; in a way I get to bring a little of T and our Girl Scout story along with me.

Hugs and love. 

Click here to learn more about travel opportunities within Girl Scouting. 

A Standing Ovation for the Silver Notes

I owe the members of the Silver Notes a huge THANK YOU! The members of this all female chorus in Indiana collected pencils, glue sticks, notebooks, books, paper, crayons and markers to donate to the Sangam. The supplies will be used for the Sangam's outreach projects within the Pune community. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of each member who found the time during the busy holiday season to gather a bag of supplies. Many children in Pune will feel the impact of their kindness. 

So, how did this wonderful group of musicians know of my trip and the need in India? Guess who strikes again? My Mom! My mom has been a member of the Silver Notes for as long as I can remember. My mom absolutely loves music. She especially enjoys singing and performing.