Glen is knee deep in his workshop, and I in wrapping things up: albums sent to clients, last minute meetings with bright eyed engaged couples ready to book their photog, and settling into my single parenting mode (less than 10 days left until I join Glen in Mumbai), and making lists of what I need to get & pack.

This one month creative sabbatical will start off this way… (or so I plan)

A: land in Bombay (Mumbai) after 14hr flight from JFK with the girlies, and meet our super hero who will rescue us at the airport (Glen).

B: Go to Goa (because my sister & brother said we must– going to visit Palolem), not sure if we’ll take an overnight train (8hrs) or fly - $160 for all four of us for one way, not bad. This is a touristy area which may cater to two little western girls who may need a friendly chicken sandwich rather than chickpeas with curry.

C: Bellary (psyched to visit family- wild– 31 years later- will see Aunties & Uncles and see what I learn about my past and our family)

D: Bangalore (more family & hopefully some fun shopping– my cousin is having a baby too!)

Then…. headed to Kerala (southern state) or somewhere really cool. Our thoughts: Backwaters of Kerala (it’s supposed to be beautiful), beaches of Kerala, go to Amma’s ashram, or there is also this really cool sustainable/ mindful community ( Auroville) or as always, we go with the flow.

I just heard that the plane has individual TVs, so hopefully the kids will be entertained. Food, on the other hand… I hear it is Indian & spicy. I know, I know, I am going to India, and yes, my kids don’t really like Indian food… oh, well.  We’ll see what they are going to eat for one month.

Without travel, this family ceases to exist. Thank you life for this gift.

The GADS (Glen-Asha-Dharma-Sarada)

If you live in New England, you know EVERYONE is talking about the tough decision of what to do about these vaccines. I have to admit, it took me a while to get really excited about the logistics of this trip because of the perceived explosion of this subject.

I polled everyone. I mean everyone I knew, “If you were taking your kids to India right now, would you give them the vaccine?” I asked people that are from India, people who regularly travel to India, and savvy International travelers. They all said, “Yes.”

Everywhere I read, the advice was “do it”. Until I went in to see my doc for a little check up. She said, (totally off the record) that she’d rather get the swine flu, build up natural immunity, and be done. Even for her kids. She said that they don’t know if it takes 1 or 2 doses & if the virus mutates then it won’t work. So, she opened me to thinking differently, but she did say, “If I were you, I’d get the flu & H1N1 because the question is do you want to get sick while you are traveling?” No, of course I don’t want to get sick, or have my two little angels with fevers, never!

After sitting with this information I sat with the decisions, and then at a very deep, intuitive level, I got that it just was not right for the girls. I’m sure most think I’m crazy, but what’s new. It is just not right for us. Yes, we are going to sit on a 15 hr. plane ride with same yucky air recirculating, but it just does not feel right.

So, we are not doing it. It got me thinking about all the other filters I have, and how this is just one area that I have to filter out the outside world & come within to know what is right, for my girls, myself & my marriage, and my business.

Intuition: overrated? I’m going on a big no to that.

So, vaccine preparation is done. Next, is what to bring in case we get sick. Oh, right, along with that is checking my belief system around this. Because as my dear friend Karen says, Children rise to meet your expectations as a parent.

So, we took a nice trip into Prince Edward Island, Canada. We camped & enjoyed the beauty of nature.

but somehow it just didn’t quite stir things up inside the way we Cooper-Ramakrishnas like it, so after my sister came back from India, I said to Glen, “I want to go to India…in December”.

Glen got his butt in gear, set up a Photography workshop  and is teaching the workshop in Mumbai end of November (too convenient). check it http://www.visualreportage.com. Glen style, it is working with NGOs (Non Government Orgs) to provide awareness to us all & the participants of the workshop. Amateurs & professional photographers are going.

The girls and I fly out to meet him after the workshop and we’ll see what comes of it.

Are we a mess like we were two years ago? Not quite, but in serious need of this creative one month sabbatical. I’ve personally lost my edge with the non profit work & need to find my next cause. I’m dead without my causes. Our marriage could use a little FUN into the mix instead of work, work, work, and oh, yes, I’m married to you, let’s spend time together.

Fun facts about this trip:

1. Our daughters are the same ages my sister & I were when we first traveled to India. 7 & 4.

2.It was 31 years ago, and I had not been back since. That trip messed me up in terms of how I viewed abundance; I could not understand the dissparaties & questioned why we had so much. But then went back to Venezuela & proceeded my greedy path. Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. So, human need has been out of sight for me & I need to bring it back into my consciousness.

3. We may go to an ashram.. that accepts children of course!

4. Like Panama, we think we know where we are going, but we are going to allow ourselves to be surprised. My mind won’t shut up and wants me to tell you that we want to go to:

From Mumbai to Goa

Goa to Bellary (& Hampi) were the fam lives

Bangalore (some cousins there, but may skip it)

Kerala - We want to see the beauty & may go see Amma (Hindu saint)

We have a month & are not sure if we will blog, but hope to post photos at some  point.

Why are we going? because the heart called & said go. The kids need to see how others live, I want to connect to my Indian heritage & family, Glen’s photography explodes (in a good way) after these trips… but mostly because the Heart called.

GADS