Am I eager to get back home? Well, as I've packed and said my good-byes, I have become excited about seeing everyone back home, and getting back to things I'm familiar with, such as driving in an orderly fashion down streets with marked lanes!
Am I eager to leave? That's a different story. There have been a few moments where an interaction here has left me wondering how I can possibly go. This has been an adventure beyond my dreams, and it's hard to see it end.
As a matter of fact, I've begun compiling a list of reasons that I need to come back. (Sorry, Mom.) While I've fit a few new experiences into my last week here--I've always needed a sense of urgency to really get moving--it just hasn't been possible to do it all. Doesn't look as though I'm going to be able to:
- Ride a "government" bus, the ones that take people around the city. Mary and I had talked about doing this, since she had done it once or twice with an Indian, but it never worked out.
- Ride a share auto, which is a larger version of an auto rickshaw that has a defined route and can sure squeeze a lot of people on (which is the fun part, of course).
- Check out the tower that's just a 10 to 15 minute walk from the office and would let me look out over a portion of Anna Nagar (the part of Chennai where I live and work).
- Visit the ministry of Jacob Beera, which is, I'm told, just an overnight train trip from Chennai. I've been familiar with his ministry of children's homes and evangelistic crusades since the 80s. Can't believe I didn't work at arranging a visit, since he's located in the state just above Tamil Nadu.
- Attend a Christian wedding. I know two people getting married (not to each other) in May, and probably would have been invited to both, but alas, I'll have to settle for pictures.
Hmm. I'm sure there were more. I'll work on it. But for now, I'm working on fitting things in my suitcases and somehow saying good-bye to a land and people that are quite firmly entrenched in my heart.
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