The journey continues: Getting ready for India

Before I left for Guatemala I was encouraged to journal or blog my 'leading up' process as an integral part of the journey.  I don't think I did a great job of it as I was just too busy flurrying around getting ready.  This time I was sure I would do it differently, having experienced how integral the pre-flight part of the journey is to the process.  Like last year, however, the pre-flight part of the journey has been the craziest time: emotionally volatile, full of hurry-up-and-wait details, logistics and general mayhem.  So here I am, two days prior to departure, starting up my blog again after a hiatus of 3 months of intense journey preparation.

For those who don't know, I'm heading to India in two days.  Delhi to be exact . . . .at least as my starting point / home base.  I will be there, we anticipate, for about 5-6 months, returning in late April or early May.  If all goes well, I'll head back there again sometime between July & September of next year for a second stint, duration as yet undetermined.  Let's see how the first trip goes first.

At this point, the how-I-got-to-this-point background might be helpful for some.  It's all part of the my 'transition summer'.  The part I didn't write about as it was happening, because I was sitting on the hurry-up-and-wait train to yes-it's-for-real. 

After my return from Guatemala, I spent the first few months job-searching like crazy, determined to line myself up with a good, responsible, lucrative J.O.B. aligned with my passion and values, that would enable me to be financially free within two years so that I could be free to make big choices again.  I discovered in late July / early August that universe appeared to have a slightly different agenda for me.  I got a call from the consulting firm I've worked for over the past two years to explore whether I was interested in going to India on their behalf.  Yes, really.  But I didn't want to post it to the world in case it wasn't for real.  Because, in the way of true Indian time (which makes Latin American time look positively prompt), it took a LONG time to get to the for-sure-yes-I'm-going confirmation.  Truthfully, while talks began in late July, I didn't have a ticket in hand until less than a month ago.   And once I was fully confirmed to go, it has been full-tilt forward in preparations ever since.

So, here I am, with a 6-month business Visa, a one-way air-ticket (again) and a huge agenda, headed to one of the most interesting, daunting, exciting, different, countries in the world. An emerging economic world-player with poverty like I've never seen, heritage and culture that is thousands of years old, and a powerful reputation for causing immense digestive discomfort. I'm excited, terrified, curious, confident, humbled, and prepared (I think) to be completely unprepared for the wonder that is India.

As for the 'reason' I'm going . . . .it's an interesting intersection of forces.  I have wanted to go to India, personally, for a number of years, and knew I would eventually.  I never imagined I'd be paid to go though.  How cool is that?  It appears the universe conspired with me to make it happen.  Certainly if you'd told me a year ago that I'd be in India this fall, I'd have said you were nuts.  Most certainly, if anyone had told me 5 years ago that this is what I'd be doing now, I'd have laughed until my gut hurt. 

Of course, along with the metaphysical / personal reasons for going to India, there is what I'm getting paid for while I'm there.  Ostensibly, I am going to help support the launch of a coaching-skills training program for managers.  I will be training trainers and coaches, helping to market the program, and generally supporting the unfolding of this program and the book that goes with it, in the Indian market.  There's probably more to it than that, but as this is a personal blog . . . that's about all the detail that's relevant.  More relevant for me is that this feels like a deep stretch both personally and professionally.  I am being called to step up to the plate and play full-out, using my education (finally some justification for all that money spent!) and my experience.  There is no room to play small.  It's time to pull on my big-girl panties, put on my business suit and go be a professional.

Ok . . . have you had a good giggle at that image?  Good, me too.  Turns out the business suit will be mostly metaphorical, as I will be wearing Saris and Salwar Kameez as my professional clothes - with general consensus that they will be a much better fit for me.  I was told at one point that the reason I was chosen to go was because the team could envision me delivering training in a Sari - who knew how true that would be???

In the mean time, I need to complete my preparations, pack my suitcase and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.  Tuesday afternoon I  embark on 24 hours in the air, followed by a couple of do-nothing-but-sleep days, some clothes shopping, and I should be ready to start work in India by next Monday. 

As I sit next to my best friend, blogging in a Starbucks in Delta, it's hard for me to even fathom how different life will feel this time next Sunday afternoon.