January 13, 2010 -Early Return Home Story

January 13, 2010 -Early Return Home Story

You will not read this post in real time since I do not want my Mother to know of this change in my plans, so cannot publish it right now, but I have been through and interesting experience of truly listening to my heart , accepting with joy and freedom from fear all things, and experiencing true Faith in Divine wisdom and messages. (The next four posts will be in chronological order giving you a quick look at the final two weeks of my stay and my first week at home. )
Several days ago I received and intense understanding that I must return home to Israel at eh earliest possibly date. This has never happened to me before in India, especially considering the fact that I had less than one month actually be here anyway. It was an intense KNOWING that for some reason I must return home.
It has nothing to do with the feeling which people who spend long periods of time in India sometimes experience. That India is just “too much” sometimes and we need to get away for awhile. All kinds of little things which can really bum a person out after a lengthy stay. I was completely content here and at peace with everything so was certainly not looking for any reason to get away from HERE. And even if this WAS the reason, waiting a couple of days would simple find the feeling vanishing. But as the days went by the feeling that I must get home became even more imperative.
The entire feeling began to tickle me someplace inside on Wednesday evening, but kind of ignored it to begin with, assuming I was just missing my family, which sometimes happens. By Thursday, I felt like crying so intense was my need to get home, and even spoke to one of my daughters who of course said that THEY would be all very happy to see me earlier than expected, but I would hate myself after 3 days of being home for having left India too soon.
However, by Thursday evening I could no longer deny that some Higher Power was shouting at me by this time that I must GO HOME. To confirm this, I even picked a couple of tarot cards, with the first telling me to take a Leap of Faith and follow the true desires of my heart. The second instructed me to do what I knew I needed to do but first make sure that I properly research the entire matter before making the final decision.
So, Friday morning I headed off to find a travel agent who would do this for me, after also writing a letter to my own travel agent in Israel asking for her advice as well – but I knew it was already the weekend in Israel and I would not hear from her until Sunday. (That became Monday as she took the day off on Sunday).
I will make this as short as possible, and only say that I was asked to leave my ticket with the agent and he would check it for me and I should come back the next day.
When I came back, he said there was ticket available for 4 days later but with a 12 hour stop over in Amman….I told him I would think about it and let him know the next day, which was really stupid at the time, since the airline was closed on Sunday and by not reserving that seat, I stood a good chance of loosing it by Monday. But I was still following my heart and not second guessing my KNOWING. It was a truly stressful couple of days, with my literally being awake the whole night on Saturday night. By Sunday I was practicing every way I know to stay tranquil and cling to faith and joy to move me along. Monday finally came and I went back to the agent after telling him on Sunday that if he spoke to them before I arrived, to reserve that ticket for me anyway.
When I arrived on Monday, after some difficulties with the airline, and being notified that there were NO tickets available before my scheduled flight, he called the MANAGER of the airline in Delhi, whom he apparently knows personally, asking him to find every seat available for the next 3 weeks and to please call him back. And to MY great surprise, 5 minutes later, he called back and said there IS a seat available in a couple of weeks. I immediately reserved it, paid the extra fee for changing the ticket, and happily left, knowing that today, I would receive the new ticket in hand. A few hours later, the agent called me to tell me that there was even an earlier ticket available and do I want it and of course I said yes! So I will be home for my birthday, and although it is longer than 4 days, it gives me time to finish up the things I need to do here without hassle and stress, still have time for goodbye lunches and dinners with friends, some final walking around, and it is a GOOD connection in Amman with only the usual 2 hour wait.
It is the perfect way to do what I need to do and know this was all divinely guided and mastered for the best possible outcome.
True blessings as always.
I now happily sit in my room knowing that I have a pleasant 8 day vacation ahead of me! And I plan to use it to best advantage.

January 25, 2010 – End of My Vacation

It is now just about the end of my vacation…today is the 25th of January, and I am just about ready to leave. My clothing is packed and ready to be stored with my friend seema, and my kitchen stuff is packed and ready to be stored at New Bhandari Swiss Cottage. And the rest of my things are almost packed and ready for me to leave on Wednesday morning, the 27th of Janaury.
I want to finish everything this evening so that tomorrow, my last day here, I will have completely free. Today I went to say my goodbyes from many people, drank WAY too much chai, but also enjoyed the weather which turned beautiful as of yesterday, literally overnight – from winter to spring. So I have 3 days of glorious, almost too warm weather and it makes everything just that much easier.
I have been having farewell breakfasts, lunches and dinners and tomorrow I have my last farewell from Manju, dr. arora’s wife, where I will be going for breakfast. If I have the energy, I will go for a facial, but have a feeling I will be too tired and would prefer to just go down and sit along the Ganga for awhile before finishing up last minute things prior to going to sleep for my last night here this year.
It has all been wonderful, and easy….I have made arrangements to stay at a hotel right across from the airport and leave here during the day, rather than going straight to the airport at night as I usually do. This, due to the terrible fog which delhi has been experiencing and to avoid the stress of perhaps not getting to the airport on time. It will also make the trip home easier, as instead of traveling all night and waiting in the airport for my flight at 6 AM, I will be able to sleep for some hours, after a good dinner, and go straight across to the airport in time for my flight…I think it will work out well for me.
And I will post this when I get home on Thursday afternoon as I will have already seen my Mother, surprised her and gotten home to my own house by then.
So, unless I have something exciting to report from the actual journey home, this will be the last post for this trip…I should begin writing here again in just one year, 2011, when I plan to be back.
It is now Tuesday evening, getting ready for my last nite’s sleep here for the next year or so, and looking back over a lovely last day. Went for breakfast to Manju, dr. arora’s wife where I was served paneer stuffed paranthas with fresh homemade butter and extremely good masala chai. MAnju also gave me a lovely going away present of a large mug, made from stainless steel but also a thermos….for keeping one cup of chai warm for 3-4 hours!! And then, it being Republic Day (Independence day), we watched the parade from Delhi on TV. It was really beautiful, with floats from each different state, ethnic singing and dancing, motorcycle stunts, and fly overs….lots of local and foreign dignitaries, all freezing in the delhi fog (which hopefully will not delay my flight in a couple of days), but very exciting to watch.
Back home, lunch, final visit with seema, last minute cleaning and packing, and more friends coming to say hello and bring small gifts as well…It was another beautiful day and I happily get ready to go to sleep now to be up early and on my way to delhi tomorrow morning.
Namaste
Jane

January 28, 2010 – 5:30 AM – The Continuing Saga

January 28, 2010 – 5:30 AM – The Continuing Saga
I should just about be boarding my plane for home at this time. What I am actually doing is sitting with 6 other sweet Israelis in the Airport Visitors lounge, waiting for the restaurant to open so I can get something to eat! I left my hotel at 3 AM after checking that the flight was not delayed on the internet. When I arrived at the airport, I quickly discovered that the flight was delayed by at least 6 (!) hours until 12:35 in the afternoon. This, only when a ground crew member finally came to the check-in counter which never opened as it should, explaining to us that they called everyone on the phone they could reach (which would explain why there were only 16 people at the check-in counter), and she would arrange for us to sit in the visitor’s lounge until 8 in the morning when the check-in would begin for the 12:35 flight. At that time they would also notify us about what our connection in Amman would be, and it seems as though I was meant to spend time in the airport hotel anyway, even though I didn’t take the flight last week BECAUSE of the bad connection…what is meant to be, apparently WILL be, and as I sit here now, I still have no idea what time I will finally be arriving home!
And I now sit eating a slice of pizza (actually not bad) at 5:30 in the morning!! This is going to be an interesting adventure until it finally ends at home.

February 2, 2010 – End of Homecoming Story

February 2, 2010 – End of Homecoming Story
It is now a few days after I arrived home and finally have the energy to try and recapture the rest of the journey and the few days following it until today,
We finally checked in around 9 in the morning and then had to spend another 3 hours in the departure lounge. I can tell you that aside from everything else, I spent a ridiculous amount of money on food and drink during all those hours in the airport. A cup of cappuccino cost 130 rupees!! Somehow I managed the time in the airport until boarding around 12 noon…I was extremely grateful for the computer and being able to play games as I had finished the book I had brought along. The flight itself was easy enough, and I even dozed a little, but not really a true sleep. At least we were given lunch as I was really hungry by then. We arrived in Amman where, having missed our connecting flight, were promised a hotel until the next flight which wasn’t until 9 PM Jordanian Time (we arrived at 4 PM Jordanian time), but when we got to the transit desk we were told that no hotel if the wait is less than 6 hours. By then we all were really zonked, and I finally insisted that I at least get a voucher for food. Which I did, but was told not to mention this to “the others”. I of course DID tell all the kids later on that they should also go back and get a food voucher as we had another 5 full hours to wait, and no food until we got home late at night. After much insistence, several of them also managed to get food vouchers. (The food served was actually quite good and did a lot to get me through those last hours.). I found a row of chairs connected but with no armrests in the middle and without giving a thought to what people thought of me, laid myself down along the chairs. Put my IPod into my ears, and although I didn’t sleep, at least I could rest for awhile. Then around 7 went and had my meal and eventually we boarded and headed home. I arrived at the airport just before 10 PM and was out very quickly where my son, daughter-in-law and youngest daughter were waiting for me. Home, full of adrenalin and talking and eventually got into my own bed after a really needed hot shower and slept straight through until 9 in the morning on Friday.
I had planned to go see my Mother but really could not move much further than the sofa, and was expecting one of my daughter’s and her family in the evening – they were coming and bringing dinner with them luckily – and mostly slept on and off for the rest of the day.
Shabbat, Saturday, I finally took a taxi to visit my mother who did NOT know I was coming, and in short, it was a perfect way of coming home to her. She was surprised, but happy and the whole meeting was a lot stressful for her than when she is usually doing a countdown for 2 weeks before I come home and under great pressure until I finally arrive – crying for hours afterwards. This time she cried for about 1 minute, and then we spent a lovely couple of hours together catching up. Another daughter picked me up after that and came to my house where she spent the rest of the day with all of her kids, and in the evening another daughter came with HER family. All of these people of course had to be fed during the day and evening, but all in all it was so beautiful to be back with all of them again. And of course everyone was extremely pleased with the gifts I had brought back.
Sunday morning the last daughter who I had not yet seen came to visit for a few hours, we went for brunch and also caught up (she is pregnant for the first time and so there was lots to talk about and it was funny seeing her with her little tummy beginning to show). Yesterday I finally got around to shopping and cooking (which was nice in my own kitchen) and today a very good friend came to visit as well.
Tomorrow another friend is coming, Thursday is haircut day and a full week is over just like that!
It’s been a different homecoming than ever before, I am still recuperating from the long 2 day journey, but am content and at peace.
What the rest of the journey holds in store I have no idea, but I have already bought a ticket to fly to Portugal for two weeks beginning of April for a 10 day silent retreat.
I imagine this will be my last post here for now, unless I manage to get up a few more pictures which I haven’t managed as yet…and I still have to update the books I’ve read this trip…but for now I will say Namaste to all until the next journey sometime next year probably.
Jane