Off to India: to bring, or not to bring, toilet paper...

There's the question of the moment. Do I fill my pack with rolls and rolls of TP or adapt, as so many have recommended, and go without? (True confession: I've been practicing the requisite left-hand-wipe -- although WITH toilet paper -- in preparation for such a choice...) Ah, the challenges of packing.

As you may have gathered, India doesn't really have toilet paper. Nor does it have waiting lines/queues (according to Caitlin's uncle, Pete, you just have to push), winter (my often favourite season), or my trusty travel buddy, Em (hence the site address... sniff... -- p.s. she's http://onefeistynomad.blogspot.com). It does, however, happen to be the place I've most wanted to visit in my global travels. Someone once told me that "you haven't travelled, until you've travelled in India." I'm going to go check out what they meant. I've also wanted to take part of this year-off to do some meaningful work helping out in a community in some capacity. This trip is my answer to both.

The long and short of it: I'm flying to India on Sunday and spending four weeks volunteering with Unite for Sight, a non-profit eye health organization. I'll be based in a small town outside Bhubaneswar (on the east coast south of Calcutta), and travelling around the area to do vision screening, cataract screening, eye health education, and any other projects through the local NGO that need a hand and look worthwhile. After that I have two weeks to make my way across northern India to Delhi and fly home in time for med school interviews. I'm getting excited... But knowing myself, I'll only be truly, crazily excited about five minutes before I board the plane on Sunday. :)

I hope to find internet easily in India (although nothing can compare to SouthEAST Asia), and I'll keep you posted on my work, travels, and impressions. Yes, that also unfortunately means that you will get to sift through hundreds more photos! Enjoy. Write me.

love

alyss.