Bye, bye Miss American Mumbai....

Sorry about the ridiculous title of this post. . . . . .it just kind of happened. And it's 2:30 am here and I think I'm hilarious. So just go along with it. 

Today was our last day in Mumbai! Sort of. 

Tomorrow morning we leave for Jaipur, then after that we're going to Agra, then New Delhi. Then we'll head down to Chennai for three weeks to work with Rising Star Outreach, and then to Hyderabad to visit my cousin who is serving a mission there for our church, and then we head back up to Mumbai for a few days and then we fly home! 

I love Mumbai. Being here has been such a wonderful experience and I'm a little sad to leave. It's bittersweet. I'm so excited for our upcoming travels, but sad to leave this crowded city I have come to love. I have learned so many things here. I have met people that have changed my life forever. I have eaten more food than I ever thought possible. And I have loved every second of it. Every last second. 

I have learned that even amidst the poverty, wandering cows, peeing men, and crazy traffic, that there is beauty everywhere. Cliche? Yes. Do I care? Nope. Because it's the truth. 

There are so many people here in Mumbai and the surrounding cities that have next to nothing, but they all have their own ways of making their lives beautiful for THEM. Their smiles, their beautiful children, the colorful fabric hanging in their tiny little tarp covered home, and their humility all prove that money does not equal happiness. And those who think it does need to come to India.

 It has been a very humbling experience for me, to say the least. I think that so many times we (myself very much included) get so caught up in having the beautiful home,  the expensive clothes, and the fancy creams and lotions (thank you Nacho Libre), that we forget where true happiness comes from. It comes from being surrounded by those you love. It comes from having faith. It comes from knowing who you are and what your purpose in this life is. It comes from humility! Cliche again? Yes. #sorryimnotsorry

Everyday I have been here I have been reminded of that.  And now I could break out in song, but I will refrain. Ahahahaha, refrain. . . .get it? #musicjokes 

Anyway. Onto something a little less cliche and hopefully somewhat entertaining.

Remember when I said I have learned lots of things in Mumbai? Well believe it or not, they were not all philosophical, deep in thought, cliche things. WHAT?!?!! I know. Look at me go. 

Remember in my last post when I said I would make a list of things NOT to do when traveling by car or rickshaw through Mumbai? Well my friends, here it is in no particular order.

1. Never, and I mean NEVER attempt to scratch, rub, or touch your eye or anywhere near that when driving through Mumbai. Why? Because you might lose the very eye you have come to know and love! Even when you think there is a clear path in the road with no potholes, even when traffic seems to be moving, and even when it seems there is no traffic at all, YOU ARE NEVER SAFE. You never know when the driver will find a pothole to drive into for no apparent reason, or when he will swerve to pass another car, cow pedestrian, or stray dog, or when he will slam on his brakes. So be smart, and never ever, ever, ever attempt to touch on, in, or anywhere in proximity to your eyes. 

2. Even if there is a seat belt, there is never a buckle. And it's a mystery I just can't seem to solve. So save yourself the time and accidental bum touching of your neighbor and just forego the seatbelt adventure all together.

3. Pedestrians never have the right of way. Ever. Even if you look both ways before crossing the street, chances are you still should not cross. Ever. So hopefully there were no shops on the other side of the road you wanted to visit, because you might die on the way there. Hey, I just thought of a joke! Why did the chicken cross the road in Mumbai?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thats all I've got. I can't think of a reason why. So my jokester friends, it is now your job to complete the joke. Jessie Robinson, that means you, you clever little lady. Moving on! 

4. Rickshaws are stinky. 

5. Don't even think about trying to sleep while in the car driving through Mumbai. You will either experience serious whiplash, practically feel your brain jostling around inside your skull, or not even fall asleep at all because of all the honking. So instead, enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of Mumbai! 

6. If you think you are a smarty pants and don't take my advice about sleeping in the car, first- you're dumb.  So here is some advice for you prideful little sleepers. Don't sleep on your neighbor's shoulder. It ends up being painful for the both of you. Also, don't attempt to sleep leaning against the window. It feels similar to what I imagine being stuffed in a dryer on heavy duty tumble dry feels like. Please take the advice of an avid car sleeper, and just DON'T DO IT.  You will end up even more tired than you were from the start, and you'll probably wish you had an ice pack and a Costco size bottle of Advil for your head. Or just a new head in general. 

7. Don't be alarmed by the honking. You'll get used to it. I thought the honking in downtown Chicago was bad, but this is approximately 1784992 bazillion times worse. So just get used to it. Just enjoy it! 

I think there were more reasons, I just can't think of them now. So I suppose this is where I will end. Bye, bye, miss American Mumbai. See you in approximately 4 weeks. 

Namaste. 

-Kir