New York, New York, I'm leaving today

Here I am in JFK Airport in New York. I have 4 hours until my flight leaves to Mumbai. I tell you what, this airport seems crazy! I always imagined a New York airport to be top of the line, but this seems a little ghetto even though I've only seen one area of it. I wish I had a longer layover here so I could taxi it up to see Ground Zero and Times Square.

Let's recap my day so far, shall we? I woke up this morning at 8:00 AM and took a shower. Afterward I went into my bedroom to put all my carry-on things into my carry-on bag and upon opening my wallet I discovered that my Passport was missing. I have kept my passport in my wallet for the last 9 months pretty much! I never take it out, I had no idea where it had gone. The time was approximately 9:00 when this happened. My mom, Grandma, and myself searched high and lo, I made phone calls to people and businesses it could have fallen out at. Nothing. I then walked past the kitchen table for the 20th time this morning and noticed a pile of receipts, the very receipts I had in my walled with my passport. I picked them up and there it was! A little dramatic, I know, but praise the Lord it was found!

Next was the fun task of dropping off my camera at a friends because it had died last night in the middle of a photo shoot with friends I won't see in awhile. My friend quickly drove to Best Buy to attempt swapping the camera for a new one because it obviously just sucks the life out of batteries, but she came to the airport with the same, broken camera and informed me I must call a number when I'm in India and they'll tell me the nearest place I can bring it to either fix it or replace it. So, I'm out of a camera perhaps for a while.

Now on to more observations and feelings.

I cried when I left! More so when I was saying goodbye to my Mother. Once I go through security I was fine with an almost teary spot mid-flight. After landing I had to try to find the ticketing counter which could have been easy, but I of course made it hard. I found Air India way at the end of the rows and rows of rows and rows of TV screens and check in agents. I got in line only to realize I was the only person there who was not Indian. A little taste of the intimidation I know I'll feel when in India, but I felt pretty okay actually. I just smiled to myself and wondered if I would be the only white girl on the flight later. I'll have to let ya'll know.

So far, so good. It still hasn't hit me that I'm going to India for 9 months, but it will hit me perhaps around month 4.

I still need money to survive and plan a trip outside the country only to re-enter AND pay for a return ticket home. The ticketing agent asked me if I was staying there forever. I simply told him I couldn't afford the return ticket! Ha cha cha.

Well, I'm back to eating my airport food court sweet and sour chicken with Lo mein noodles. Fairly okay for food on the go.