New year's Eve Dinner

Good friends reunited.

Ice Fishing

I spent a day ice fishing on Lake Alexander, near Little Falls, with my good friends Michael and Valerie. Lake Alexander is one of my favorite places in the world, in any season.

Midday in Minneapolis

Taking a walk after brunch at the Seward Cafe.

With the Boys

After saying good-bye to Matt at the train station I heard from Andy, who surprised me with his visit in Minneapolis. I decided to stay in the city a little longer.

I'm Blogging

This is the view out of my bedroom window at Holden, one of my last mornings.


Hello dear friends and others who are reading this blog,

I imagine the Holden folks may be reading Matt and Matt's "Perils Unknown" blog and our paths parallel one another's a little (or a lot) right now. I left Holden Village (www.holdenvillage.org) on December 12th after 18 months in the mountains. I was sent off well with many blessings, formal and informal. I cried through my last dinner and breakfast (and Vespers and bus departure...), but felt the "good courage" we're supposed to feel when we leave. I could say I spent most of my time laughing and smiling while at Holden (choreographing with Daniel, sledding with Becci and David, watching Paul soft-shoe, singing "Internet Came to Holden Village" or most anything that Matt Perry played on piano), and therefore my sadness at leaving was in direct proportion to the joy and growth I experienced while living there. I hope to carry the spirit of celebration and hilarity, which is pervasive at Holden, with me for the rest of my days, especially the immediate ones!

All of my belongings fit in my Honda Civic thanks to Matt, and we made our way to Minnesota. I've been blessed to enjoy the hospitality of family and old friends, and have enjoyed soaking up life here after the months away. It's good to experience some Minnesota winter. (Though it is currently -10 degrees F.) I've rested, but have also been productive and engaged. I obtained my Indian visa from a sterile white room in downtown Chicago, purchased plane tickets, sent off a graduate school application, enjoyed late nights dancing (including the polka) and long breakfasts the next morning with friends in Minneapolis and Chicago, substitute taught, judged high school speech tournaments, enjoyed a few Holden reunions, read some good books, organized everything I own, and went ice fishing. I am very thankful for this time.

And soon, Ambryn and I will be leaving for India! (The reason for this blog!) We will depart on February 21st from Chicago. We'll stop in London, and look forward to seeing the familiar face of Sampath at the airport in Bangalore.

Ambryn and I spent the fall semester of 2001 with the Gustavus "Justice, Peace, and Development in India" program. This course is coordinated through Visthar, a South Indian NGO. You can visit their website at www.visthar.org. Ambryn and I had profound experiences throughout the semester, despite (and due to?) leaving India early after the United State began bombing Afghanistan. We have both dreamed of returning, especially after David, one of Visthar's directors, encouraged alumni of the program to return to volunteer in the community. It is likely we will work with Visthar's Bandhavi program. At this point we're not sure how long we'll stay, but we know we also want to travel quite extensively before our departure date of June 12th.

I hope this blog can help us to keep in touch!