It has been one month since I started my round the world trip. Waw, time flies. The most amazing thing is, when I think about my life in Toulouse, it seems soooo far, like I left 10 years ago. I cannot believe it has been barely two months since I stopped working. Am I going through some kind of time dilatation? Probably not, I think it is because, while traveling, all days are different. Not only different, they are also very intense since I am living new experiences, meeting new people and learning new things every day.

So, how has it been this first month? Great. It was a good idea to start in India, a country where I have friends and that I had visited before. It has allowed me to slowly get used to traveling alone,  my friends introduced me to the country and food, showed me how to buy bus and train tickets, and recommended me where to go (I discovered my favorite place thanks to them!). Little by little I gained confidence in moving around on my own. Moreover, I could learn about people and culture since I could ask them a lot of questions.

This first month in India has been about learning and adaptation. Learning new things about myself and about life. Adaptation to new situations, as living with less comfort, eating different food, crossing chaotic streets, moving constantly, and more. This is the first time I travel for more than two weeks so it is a new experience in itself. These are some of the things I have learnt and some of the best moments I have lived.

Places visited

• India: Kerala and Karnataka

10 things I have learnt about myself

• I can take a shower with cold water. I do not like it, but I can do it
• I cannot take a shower if there is a cockroach in the bathroom. I know they are not dangerous, but… ughhhh
• I would like to hug a baby elephant
• I can eat vegetarian food for several days and I do not miss meat
• I do not need AC if there is a fan (I never liked fans before)
• I get tired of removing my shoes every time I want to enter a place (not only temples)
• I can walk two kilometers with all my luggage (even when it is reaaaally hot)
• I like traveling light. So far, I did not miss anything
• I do not follow any religion but I feel well in religious places, like temples. It feels peaceful and full of energy
• I like traveling alone. I like traveling by local public transport. It is hard sometimes, and tiring, but when I manage to get to a new place on my own, I feel so happy, so like… ‘hey, I did it’

10 things I have learnt from others

• Some basics of cricket
• The glasses we chose tell a lot about our personality
• When it is very hot, it is good to drink (very) hot water
• Some people working in tourism do love their work
• People who seem to be very self confident and strong might actually be fragile and searching their real ‘self’
• To obtain something you wish you have to sacrifice something else (metaphor: if you are holding something under your arm, and you extend your arm to get another object… the first one falls down)
• Giving can be more rewarding than receiving
• Crazy drivers help us become better drivers (this is positive thinking!)
• Hindusim is not a religion, is a lifestyle. There are no real rules (like praying N times per day/week or what to/not to eat). The objective is to feel well and happy with your way of life (if I understood well… there is so much to learn about hindusim)
• The purpose of life is to find the meaning of life, and that is a life-long job

My favourite place

• Munroe island: beautiful and peaceful, a place to enjoy and relax

Special moments

• Meeting my friends from Toulouse after several years
• Kanyakumari: a group of women asking me to get a group picture with me, and then one with each of them and her respective husband
• Kanyakumari: entering a Christian convent and talking to a missionary nun
• Munroe island: getting sweets from a woman I did not know
• Kochi: attending a Hindu ceremony for god Vishnu where there were elephants
• Kalpetta: entering a wedding sari shop (I was just looking from outside and they invited me in)
• Tibetan settlement in Madikeri: visiting a camp and talking to them
• Kaveri river origin: taking a bath in the temple (fully dressed, in cold water!)

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