As all the last minute preparations are taking place, Katrina reached out one last time to the amazing women who are joining Sankara’s Adventure through India and Nepal. Noreen and Dana have both done a bit of traveling, but neither have visited India before. As this is their first time, we chatted a bit about their questions, their concerns, their excitement, and their wishlists.
Both Dana and Noreen are looking forward to experiencing a new culture, and are glad that we will be seeing a variety of places on our trip. Dana in particularly is looking forward to immersing herself in a culture that is so different than the one she is used to. She wants to see the colors, the people, and the chaos that is India. Noreen is also looking forward to sampling all the food! She loves the Indian and Nepalese food she has access to here in Seattle, but cannot wait to try the regional foods everywhere we are going. She is particularly looking forward to the Gujarati thalis and Nepalese momos! Dana is also very excited to experience Diwali while we are in Jaipur and Delhi.
Both women are curious about seeing what India is like in person and not through the prism of media. Between the disparity of the negative news cycle and the glitz and glamor of Bollywood films, they hope to catch a glimpse of the “real” India between the two extremes. As Dana stated, “so much of my knowledge of the Indian culture is from the media, outside of that it is all second hand. I am curious about everything.” Noreen is curious about the culture in general as well as the role of spirituality in the daily life of those throughout India.
As this is their first trip to India, both Noreen and Dana have some concerns with the trip. Both are hoping they packed the right clothes for the heatwave and remembered their incidentals and the right plug adapters. Noreen’s concerns going into the trip are mainly regarding the general logistics. She knows that we at Sankara are covering the details, but is used to doing all the work herself. Dana has the general anxieties common with extended trips in foreign cultures: navigating the language barrier, not wanting to commit a cultural faux pas, and worried that she will get lost. We have met with both Dana and Noreen multiple times in the previous months, and each concern from what meals will be available on the flights to verifying wardrobe choices have been addressed. Both women are appreciative of the response of Francesca and Katrina to address all of their concerns and help them find the information they needed.
Though Dana is a little worried that she’ll be so overwhelmed that she won’t remember the details, Katrina is focused on the details to allow everyone the luxury of the lack of responsibility in which to enjoy the moment. All members of Sankara’s Adventures are given a handy packets with guides covering packing, vaccines, general customs, and airport procedures. The packets also include calendars, detailed itineraries, and a handy reference sheet for the family left at home. Dana and Noreen are excited to travel through India with Katrina and to utilize her experience to navigate Incredible India.
Keep an eye out for the frequent updates throughout the adventure, and be sure to look for the details for the trip next year! All Adventures will be limited to 4-5 guests to continue the one-on-one attention and personalized adjustments along the way.
