I return to India today.And , I am just back from a 6AM walk that gears me up to face the rest of the day.The ladies setting up the breakfast counter wished me a cheery good morning.I'm going to miss being here.Miss the 6AM hour , when there's a hint of daylight , the sound of those dreadful geese , and the splashing of the water in the fountain.I feel like the world is one giant baby that's slowly waking up .. and guess what? I already did that!
Ok , so moving on..The highlight of the trip was the sister , of course! The only reason I didn't lose my mind given the colleagues I traveled with(calls out for a looong post) and the only reason I never felt homesick.Someone who'd patiently chalk out my travel itinerary for each weekend with the right amount of fun,history(err yes .. I sometimes call her eMonica) and someone who never put on the bored face when she took me out on these outings(given she has seen these places about 30 zillion times already).You know .. bored faces (the one's that read Oh been here , seen it already , gotta see it again 'coz I need to show you around) are SUCH a turn-off for enthusiastic tourists .. well what do you know emo , you definitely were'nt that, thank god!
Of all the places I have been to , I liked the Niagara the best.. I think I will be back each year at a different season to watch the Niagara. I remember the first time the spray hit my face. At that exact instant , nothing mattered , it was just me and the spray and the all pervading sound of the river.. strange .. that something that sounds so forceful should bring out a sense of peace within you..
A close second was the Harper's Ferry ..the Potomac river and the Shenandoah valley .. I remember taking a long walk with Appa that day while Amma and Alty sat on a rock .. reading!! Really!
DC comes third , DC has that air about it.Like New Delhi , Leonine, royal, well-read ..
:) .
So here it is. A salute to the star spangled banner and a cheery wave to the tri-color.
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!