written a couple of nights ago...

right now, I'm on a sleeper train...it's about 7:10am here, and I've been awake for the last...4 hours or so? This jet lag thing is kickin my butt...I'm EXHAUSTED during the day, and then I sleep pretty well for a couple of hours...and then I wake up at about 4am!

the sleeper train isn't bad...I have a little curtain, and have been plugged into my ipod all night...not bad! HOWEVER. it has THE most disgusting bathroom I have EVER seen in my whole life. Makes all disgusting gas-station bathrooms absolutely pale in comparison. I unfortunately drank quite a bit of water last evening, so have had to make a couple of trips, but I've bathed in hand sanitizer afterwards (and am holding it right now, waiting until we 'land').

Unfortunately, I'm pretty homesick, and still kindof culture-shocking. I'm missing Kansas City a lot...[and then I lost my internet connection]

in india!

well, we finally got an internet connection. WHEW.

When I'm in the States, I tend to make fun of those people who are constantly connected to and communicating via their cell phones (aka 'girlfriends'...in a joking way of course). But once I get to India and remember that my cell phone doesn't work here, and that I might not have internet the whole time I'm here...I FREAK OUT!!

culture shock + lack of connectivity + missing people = freakout!

anyway, our internet card was delivered today, so you may hear from me intermittently.

We did arrive safely, last night, after about 21 hours of travel (this included a 15-hour DIRECT FLIGHT to Delhi from Newark, during which I slept peacefully and watched movies). We'll be here in Delhi again tomorrow, then an overnight train to one of our Delhi subprojects. Should be fun!

Anyway, miss you all, hope to be able to stay in touch while I'm here....<3

currently sitting in the KC aiport.

In a little less than 24 hours, I'll be landing in Delhi...though it will be tomorrow evening then. there.

I'll be back in the US on the 11th, so I'll miss the election...it's a good thing I already voted! I don't know how my media-access will be once I'm in India, so I hope I find out the results of the election before I get back to the US.

I don't know how much internet access we're going to have once we get there, but I'll try to update when I can!

exciting times for america.

“These two boys waited as a long line of adults greeted Senator Obama before a rally on Martin Luther King Day in Columbia, S.C. They never took their eyes off of him. Their grandmother told me, “Our young men have waited a long time to have someone to look up to, to make them believe Dr. King’s words can be true for them.” Jan. 21, 2008.

Check out the rest of these amazing photos that Callie Shell took candidly of Obama over the last couple of years..

(post stolen from my friend b mccoy)

In five days, I'll be off to India for a couple of weeks.

I'm excited, but nervous...my last trip was pretty eventful.

One of the main challenges I faced the first time was life without luggage. THIS time, I am pulling out all the stops to ensure that NOONE loses track of my bag on the way to India. (To be fair, I will do my part and keep track of my baggage claim tags.) It's a pretty nondescript black suitcase, so I'll need to do something to make it a bit more...festive.

any ideas??

(this is me being reunited with my suitcase last time, after several days!)

maybe race SHOULD influence politics.

My dear friend B. McCoy posted some thoughts on race and the election.

I've been thinking about formalizing a "why I'm voting for Obama" post, but that seems too complicated (and there are SO MANY reasons!!), so I'll just share some thoughts that I commented on his post:

"hm.
I think Obama’s race might have something to do with why I want him to be the next president…(a) because I feel like he has had the ‘opportunity’ to experience discrimination, and (b) he has struggled with his own identity as it relates to his race…and I feel like both of those things make him more well-fit to be president than any candidate that I’ve ever seen.

let me flesh that out a bit more…I’m voting for Obama because I believe in his character and because I believe that he cares more about the average American (and the oppressed, the ones that Jesus calls US to care for) than most politicians. I believe in his convictions and in his authenticity. perhaps his racial identity has contributed to that…that is the impression that I got from reading his first book..."

they call me sara six pack because of my amazing abs

"I think the folksy, I am just like you, hockey mom approach has worn thin. That is not what people care about when it comes to leading a country." - a canadian

I recognize that my blog has been mostly political mumbo-jumbo lately, all quotes by other people, but it seems to be what's on the minds of everyone these days.

and I know that, if my blog is going to get politicky, I should say something real, something from the heart, something of my own. believe me, I do have actual thoughts and opinions, I just haven't had a time to write them down yet. I'll try!

love to all, and peace...