Leaving and Arriving – Susan

Preparing for the clinic was different this time, having been there last year.  As I shopped and packed, I was mindful of bringing things that would make the stay more comfortable and won’t be available in India.  I have the first three seasons of Madman, lots of books and small versions of my favorite personal care items. I relished the ease and quality of our washing machine and dryer at home, knowing what was coming on that front, never really having figured out a good way to handle the laundry at the clinic.

The week before departure, I moved into a sense of profound fear about the trip.  My last flight would land at 3:30 am in Hyderabad, India and the clinic driver was to come get me. Last year he overslept and wasn’t there for one of my pals, so that became my biggest concern. We sent my itinerary to the clinic multiple times, asking for confirmation; yet they are notoriously slow communicators, so I left the US without the pick-up confirmation.  Alan and I both held a positive intention that Murthy, the driver would be there as requested.  As the saying goes; I leaned into that positive intention during my three flights to India.  And just in case, I had armed myself with phone numbers for the clinic and Dr. Raju’s cell phone plus I had arranged with AT&T for a small package of international calls on my cell phone.

I also had concerns about how intense my reactions might be to the various treatments. I realize as I write this, the intensity of my concerns about the pickup was far greater than my thoughts about the treatment reactions.  I recognize this is not rational; a pick up issue would be momentary, while the treatment reaction could be last for days. But then fear is not rational.

I was also experiencing fears about Alan’s trek, praying he would be safe and not get hurt or worse on his adventure.  I have a good case of fear of heights, so I am sure they were mixing in there.  Interestingly, when I shared this fear with Alan, he was shocked as it had not occurred to him to be concerned or that I would be!  I was comforted by his sense of calm and had to remind myself that he is strong, sure footed and not a risk taker.  And I know my relief with be great when I see the whites of his eyes in Hyderabad in two weeks.

I like to think I am a better international traveler this time.  I understood the implications of my choices when talking to the airlines.  I certainly felt more confident on the flights, since I knew what was at the end of travels.  I enjoyed the safe cocoon created within the airplane and felt more comfortable when I was the only white face, on the last flight into India.  I figure it is good for us to experience what it is like to be different, even if it is only within the safety of an airplane ride.

I was delighted when I emerged from Customs to find Murthy waiting.  He helped me with my bags to his new Tata car.  The car is a significant improvement from his old, slow 2 cylinder.  The day light was breaking as he sped through the unlit barren roads.  Between my travel exhaustion, the cars flying by us on the “wrong” side of the road and his great speed in a very small car, I prayed we would arrive safely.  We laughed in a fragmented conversation, due to the language gap, that it would be ironic if he crashed after I had flown so far.  As the streets became more developed and populated, I was again stuck by the endless trash, poverty and numerous wild dogs lining the streets.  I will have to take some photos of street scenes to post this year.

Raju Family Clinic

We arrived at the clinic just before 6am.  It was significantly less shocking than seeing it for the first time last year, but I was struck by the simplicity of the structure. Murthy helped me take my bags up to my room.  I was so pleased the travels were behind as I began to unpack and focused on getting settled for the month ahead.

I found two gals in the dining room about to have an early morning walk, so I put on my walking shoes and a long cotton dress for the Indian streets and joined them.

I was happy to have arrived and am ready to see what this visit will bring.