Things to See and Do

I reached a point when I had most of my preparations tied up -- passport / visa, flight, vaccinations -- and it was time to decide what I wanted to see and do while in India. And once again I froze, like a dog standing confused on a frozen lake.

As alluded to earlier, I am a control freak. I don't like to leave anything to chance (read that, complete and ultimate disaster) if I can plan / schedule / map / chart / reserve my way around it. This has worked well for me in US cities like NYC and SFO, and in Europe. I may not speak German yet I know that a German train will follow the timetable to the millisecond, which is a story for another time.

I didn't think I could successfully pull off this project management style of travel for my India adventure -- mainly because I will be with others whose schedules I do not control (note to self for future: only travel with those whose schedules you can control), I don't think razor precise timetables can be met when faced with traffic like this, and I know from growing up in the Old South that heat and humidity are persuasive enticements to languid reflection and afternoon naps.

Additionally I really didn't know anything about the places I would be traveling to. I've always romanticized India -- oh, India [sigh] -- but in retrospect it's been a nebulous blob of colors and spices and elephants and saris and yoga. The only thing I know with any specificity is the Taj Mahal, which is no where near where I'm gonna be. Add this to the overwhelming list of suggestions I received almost daily at the office -- everyone so in love with their own cities, their own states -- the food is so good, this is the best temple… How could I possibly plan this trip?? Too many choices!

To jump start myself out of this latest bout of analysis paralysis, I started by making a generic list of things I'd like to do. Once the pump was primed, I could barely control the geyser. Go to a bazaar, buy cotton fabrics, go to a beach, see an ashram, see an elephant, take cooking classes, have ayurvedic spa treatments, go to a village in the countryside, have more ayurvedic spa treatments, see some original art and crafts, and on and on...