The End

I'm sitting in BLR airport for what I suspect is the very last time. Or, if not the very last time, then at least the last for a very long time. My India adventure is over. And with this, I can clearly mark the closing of a chapter in my life. I know that's a Hallmark Card kind of thing to say, but in this case I think sentiment is actually appropriate.

These last two years have been an adventure. I've seen and done some truly amazing stuff. I've also seen and done some really horrible stuff. I don't think I ever really learned how to live in India comfortably. But I did learn how to get by in India, and that was no easy feat.

In retrospect, I have very few regrets. I wish I had tried to make a few more friends while I was here. I wish I had taken more photos and blogged more, so it will be easier to remember when I look back. Oh, and I wish I hadn't put my hand through that damned patio door.

On the flip side, I have tons for which I'm thankful. I got to experience something that few people ever do; to live in a foreign culture long enough that it no longer feels foreign (or at least entirely foreign). I traveled to a HUGE slice of the world (final count: 29 countries in 27 months). I met some people that I will think fondly of for the rest of my life. And, I learned more about the things that make me happy personally, and the things that make me crazy.

I'm going to spend the next three weeks in Europe doing some resting and traveling, in that order. And after that, when I arrive back in MPLS, I'll start a job that I'm really excited about. Beyond that, I don't really know what the future holds... Will I fall in love with MPLS and stay there? Will I be able to finagle another international assignment with my current employer? Or, will there be something else, someplace else, working for someone else? I don't know... But what I do know, is despite all the variables and unknowns, I'm looking forward to the next adventure, whatever it may be.

Cheers.