In Preparation

The date of departure to the motherland is right around the corner. Monday, November 24th to be exact. The excitement and anticipation has definitely started to heighten in the midst of the busyness of "getting ready". Some required pieces of this process over the past couple of months...

• Passport renewal - this took only 4 days [including mailing time]..hats off to the Indian Consulate of Chicago! Dhanyavaad ["Thank-you"] Amrita Kholi and Co. [a shout-out to the Indian consular and her team ;-)]
  
• Dubai visa application - this has been the first visa app. that asked for my religion. Hope they'll still let me into their country.
  
• Clear copies of all important documents [incase of theft or lost papers - suggestion for non-US citizens wishing to one day re-enter these here United States].
  
• Immunizations - FYI, if possible don't get four on the same day!! Yeah...
  
• The "List of Essentials" - to name just a few: Kool-Aid [a favorite of Indian children and many adults], tuna cans, boxed mixes & other food items that may be a bit more cost effective over here, vitamins, voltage converter, camera & battery charger [if it hasn't been misplaced], trial-size TP rolls for your purse [handy if traveling out of the city], insect repellent, light clothing...etc. Even if you forget everything else, DO NOT leave home without Immodium AD and any GIFTS!
• Ah yes, gifts! :-) This is a wonderful part of Indian culture. You just don't show up empty-handed...even something small is usually quite appreciated by your host[s]. So I found myself running about town the past few weeks picking up various items to take as presents...mainly for relatives whom I don't really remember that well...hope they like the gifts. Let me say - times have changed, and it's not as easy to find "gift-worthy" items that will travel well, don't weigh more than the approved baggage limit, and cost less than the amount I paid for my flight ticket...well, ok...I did find some lovely things, but then quickly found out that they were made in India. Interesting.
  

Alright - it's time to close up shop at Calvin for the remainder of 2008, stop buying items that "I think I might need", pay a visit to the bank, re-confirm my flights, and finish packing up these suitcases! I do miss the days when we were allowed to take 75 lbs. per suitcase [as opposed to the current 50 lbs]. One never thinks about how much a boxed brownie or cake mix actually weighs when just picking it up off the grocery shelf. Yeah...heavy.

Currently only three or so items in these bags are mine. It's a good thing that I still have the little carry-on for 6 weeks worth of clothes, shoes, and such, eh? LOL!! :-) Ok - not to worry - this was just to see how much room I actually have, and these suitcases are quite a good size...ah, the genius who came up with expandable tops...so I think I'll be just fine. The next couple of days will consist of re-packing with the addition of clothes [which will actually be minimal since India is the place for tailoring - holla!].

Stay well dear ones. Much more to come from the other side of the ocean :-)