Random Thoughts- Backpacking India, The first step!

I had a very well paying job and a position in a software company, Sunnyvale, California. A good place to live and all the freedom to do whatever I wanted. But, there was a void ... I was away from my parents! At night when I rested my head on the soft pillow I thought about them. As aging doesn't stop for anyone ... they were getting older and older day-by-day. I used to hear my colleagues taking the first flight they could when they got a call about their senior folks being ill.

I am a believer in positive thinking and for that I need to have happy things around me, happy moments to remember. I want to remember my parents healthy, smiling, running around, eating well ... and so on ... I want my pictures with them when they sit straight on the couch. Bottom-line I wanted to live with them when they are still young and healthy and treasure those days ... not only when they are in the hospital fighting for life! So, I decided to quit my job at Sunnyvale and move back to Bangalore to be with them. When I spoke to friends about this ... some agreed with me, some were surprised, some disagreed ... but, its my life and its my decision. And I moved back to Bangalore! I didn't have a job, and even after an year I haven't looked for a job!

Well, I returned. Cleaned up my apartment which was locked for more than 8 years and it felt good. My neighbors gave a curious look. I visited my parents and stayed with them for 2 months. Then I visited my sisters for a months time. I had a long time wish that we three sisters take up a tour with the families left behind. We did go but, with fractions of families lingering around :)

When I did all this ... flocks of relatives and family friends visited us. Some regular visitors, some out of curiosity to know the reason I returned, some thinking that they may get a taste of chocolates or gifts from USA. Some thought I lost my job because of recession in USA, some thought I lost my job because my green card was not approved, some thought I might have had a bad argument with my Boss and my boss fired me, and few more thought I was laid off as my company was taken over by HP. Well, everyone of them thought some thing and they were curious to know about my job situation in India and how I am going to manage my expenses. No one for some reason believe the truth, that I quit my job and life in USA for my parents. Funny world or funny me!

After being with the family, I thought I have not seen India enough and I should see India. And now everybody in the family went crazy ... I mean to say they thought I was crazy. There were phone calls from my Dad, followed by Mom, then my sisters ... to tell the truth ... my ears were hurting listening to the calls for days ... and I was so exhausted convincing them ... then friends and relatives adding salt-pepper ...

India is not safe ... It is not easy o backpack solo in India as it is in USA or Europe ... It is not safe for solo females in India ... People kill even to steal a pen ... Delhi! OMG! worst city in the world for South Indians ... Rajasthan! there might be palaces but, people are poor, uneducated and life is miserable! ... and so on ...

I heard enough and I couldn't anymore so ... I didn't know if India were so bad ... I wanted to give a try ... I promised my parents that I would call them every night, packed few shirts, a jeans, some essentials, a camera and left! I was in Jaipur!

With this post I am starting a series ... Backpacking India, chroniccles of my 50 day journey ...

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Scrapbook- A Travel Blog by Kusum Sanu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.