Kenya memories.

It was a nurturing way to grow up in Nairobi, Kenya. I remember carefree days of endless summer like weather. The temperature was always mild. Daytime would be warm and cool evenings. We had two seasons, dry and rainy. We had pomegranate trees in our yard, along with guava and mango trees. I used to spend time sitting in the pomegranate trees, or under the house. During the harvest season of pomegranates, my brothers, sisters and I would spend Sunday afternoons with our parents in our yard eating the seeds mixed with salt, ground red cayenne pepper. Yum! It sounds strange, but it's all so delicious.

Once a year my parents would pack all eight of us into our tiny little Fiat and make a trek to Mombasa, a beach town on the east coast of Africa. The journey was always memorable. We would start at seven in the morning and be in Mombasa by teatime-- 4p.m. I think Mombasa is about three hundred miles from Nairobi. I don't remember the road being paved, it was a dirt road with gravel. My father always drove fast.  I wonder where I get my need for speed when I am driving?! I remember a time when we had to come to a complete stop because, there in the middle of the road, an elephant sat. You don't honk at an elephant. You wait until the elephant decides to move. Kind of like the buffalo who sat in the middle of the Al-Can hi-way.

This was all before the elephants were being hunted close to extinction. It was towards the end of the golden era of the wildlife of Africa. Before the animals all had to be herded into preserves. Before the time of wildlife safaris. You took your chances while you were on this road from Nairobi to Mombasa. It was beyond awesome!

I remember the white sand beaches of Mombasa, I didn't know how to swim, so all I did was put my toe in the ocean. I could not believe how large the ocean was. It was terrifying and awe inspiring at the same time. Since I came from a modest Indian family, I didn't own a swim suit. I wanted to have one of course. I got that swim suit as an adult and I also learnt how to swim. I am the only child of my parents who can swim. I took lessons after being married, living in Shawnee, Oklahoma. I was determined to swim in as many oceans as I could. So far I have managed to put my toe in many a different body of water. It's interesting the paths our lives take. Born in Africa, raised on three different continents and then finally making my home here in America. I feel blessed to have led such a life.

   

Future destinations...

I thought I would comprise a list of trips I want to take over the rest of my life. I have to raft the Amazon River before I leave the planet. And I have always wanted to go to Japan. When I was a little tyke, I discovered 'origami' the art of folding paper and making different objects with folded paper. I started by making an airplane and then graduated to more complex objects such as birds. I think my hesitation for hopping on a plane and going to Japan is my inability to speak the language. Though, really anymore we can go anywhere and find someone who can speak English. I would also like to go to outer space and be weightless for a few moments. To see the world from outer space has been my quest since I was about six years old I wanted to be an astronaut. I told both my children I intend to spend their inheritance, I don't think they liked the idea!

The idea for rafting the Amazon came from having rafted the mighty Colorado River back in 1995. That was an amazing trip. My daughter Reina and I did that together. It was her high school graduation present. We were on the river for six days and I was transformed forever. The rugged beauty of the Grand Canyon is beyond compare. The route the river has taken, carving out the canyon is spectacular. Every vista is more engrossing than the one before. And, besides the sound of the river, we were surrounded by silence. I think silence is a running theme in my life. I remember when I lived in Nairobi Kenya, I would go under our house to get away from the hustle bustle of our busy household. I am one of six children. The house in Nairobi was built atop big blocks so that when the rainy season came your house didn't run off without you! I think growing up in Nairobi, I came to appreciate the gentle beauty of our planet. I do love nature and I do love this planet. So, at some point I will make a point to take the trips I have talked about. Until then I will just revisit the ones I have already taken.

  

More Alaska memories.

My journey northwards started in my mind in 2004. At that time I owned a gallery called "Starry Starry Arts"... cute name eh?! I had made several angels for a customer of mine, she was going to give them to her coworkers. When I asked her what the special occasion was, she answered, she and her husband were taking an extended leave and were going to ride their motorcycle to Alaska. My mouth dropped open. Drive to Alaska?! I gasped. Yes, she calmly replied, this was not the first time they had driven either. This would be their third trek. I have to admit, I didn't know you could drive to Alaska from here. For some reason I thought there was a large body of water between us and Alaska, like there is between us and Hawaii! She assured me there was a road which was called the Al-Can hi way. I was hooked. I needed more information, I thought if she and her husband can ride the motorcycle to Alaska, surely I too can drive there. My love of driving is only superseded by my love for Coca Cola. 

My customer, Linda came back from her summer sojourn to Alaska and stopped in to see me. I was ready with a multitude of questions. I knew one day I will make that trek northwards, I had already made up my mind. At that time in my life taking off for six weeks was not a possibility. My gallery took up all of my time and it is true, good full time help is really hard to find. I bated my time and finally, summer of 2008 afforded me the opportunity to make the fabled trek. My mission was to get there, I really didn't know what I would do once I got there. For me it was the actual act of driving over five thousand miles to get there. It was all about the journey, not the destination. And, what a journey it was! I was amazed by the pristine conditions I found myself in. Brooks bubbling along on the side of the road with crystal clear water. Buffalo sitting in the middle of the road. I just waited until they decided to move. I didn't want to interrupt their afternoon siesta! Baby black bears on the side of the road horse playing, too cute!

My daughter, Reina joined me in Alaska, this was our mother daughter trip. We went to see the glaciers. Again, words fail me here. The absolute beauty we witnessed is beyond description. Pristine, clean, clear are some of the words that come to mind when describing all things Alaskan. The days were long and the nights felt more like dusk. It never really gets pitch dark. That was hard to get used to.

Reina and I had countless hours in the car. We reminisced about the trips of days gone by. My two children and I have been going on road trips since she was three and my son was five. They have touched fresh ash from Mt. Saint Helens, to seeing the devastation caused by the gigantic fire which consumed a major portion of Yellowstone, to driving the hi-way to the sun in Glacier National Park, to name a few places. Now it's fun to have them accompany me because they can be my lowly navigator. Since I don't like navigating--just driving.

Leaving Alaska was akin to leaving India. A part of my soul stayed behind. I will return to both those places and I hope to do so... soon.