The Best Laid Plans, Never Say Never, and Skirting the Monsoon

The best laid plans. Sometime after our year away (2018) we began to lay the groundwork to be away for 3 months each year during the winter. We had a backup generator installed so our sump pump and boiler would still work even if the power went out. And it does go out. We arranged for my brother Billy to check on the house and grab our mail once a week. We had a plow guy keep the parking area near the street and the mailbox cleared of snow. We planned to work hard from March through November every year and take off for December, January and February. Kind of like snowbirds, but to Asia instead of Florida. We knew that every winter moving forward we could check out new places – probably much warmer places – and skip the cold, hard weather back home.

The first year of our plan went off without a hitch. We took off for 3 months to Bombay, Bangkok, Bali, and Rishikesh. We were able to visit the friends we’ve made in those places over the years. We lived with them, ate with them, explored with them. We had a lot of fun. It was a winter of familiar places we’d been to and had a reason to go back.

We got to know Bombay a bit better. Favorite restaurants, neighborhoods, temples, people – Bombay began to grow on us. A short train ride north and we can stay with our friends and family in Vapi. When I say family I don’t mean my blood & birth family. I mean folks we’ve met over the years traveling who house us, feed us, take us to places only the locals know. We go to carnivals with them. Live music events. Night markets. Sometimes just a raise of the eyebrows and the word “ice-cream” and we’re off! We’ve grown fond of the wonderful work our friends do – educating children, housing and feeding the poor, community building in rural areas – all humbling work.

In Bangkok I also feel at home. Riding the subway and elevated rail line around the city is second nature to me these days. My meditation teacher lives there so there’s always the opportunity for some in-person wisdom. And the work that he does there is life changing for everyone involved. My connection to the Community Learning Center at What Arun has grown over the past 5 years. This year I was invited to the graduation ceremonies back in April. Yet another life-changing trip for me personally.

In Bali we are greeted at the airport by our smiling friends Wayan and Kadek, and their young son Aditya, who we’ve watched growing up over the years via WhatsApp. They take us back to their family property and we stay and visit for a few weeks, taking in the laid-back vibe outside of Ubud and the love of our Bali family.

In Malaysia we enjoy spending time with friends, going out to eat, talking economics, music, and whatever else comes to mind.

In Rishikesh, a place we’ve been to many times since our first trip in 2007, we have friends and family there too. One picks us up at the airport and arranges dinner. Another family invites us over for dinner a few times a week. We explore a property that another friend is developing away from the hustle and bustle, out in the quiet hills, where the monkeys outnumber the people. We’ve volunteered at a hospice there. We stayed in Rishikesh for a full month last time. February 2020. Rishikesh has changed, grown immensely over the past 15 years. These days it’s crowded, loud, polluted, and super busy. Rishikesh can drain you. In 2020, after there visiting so many times, I decided that I’ve had enough. It was no longer the relaxing retreat area we once knew 16 years ago. For me it had become a hassle. I sat with it for a few days and decided it would be my last time visiting there. I began to say goodbye to everyone I got to know there over the years.

I returned home from Rishikesh at the end of February 2020. After being home for only 2 weeks the pandemic struck. Our plans to escape the New England winters were put on hold indefinitely.

Never say never. Last Sunday we finished up a Yoga teacher training program at our studio and graduated 9 new Yoga instructors. We have plans to start 2 more trainings in September, which means we will be working straight through another New England winter all the way through July 2024. There is however a window of opportunity for us to travel between now and September, before the next training starts. Asia is really hot, but even more so in the summer. And then there is the monsoon, weeks or even months of consistently rainy weather. We decided to go for it anyway. We’ll be on the road for 9 weeks. As I sit here and write this I am in a guesthouse in New Delhi, India. In the morning I hop on a plane to head to Rishikesh. Yes, the same Rishikesh that I swore off back in February 2020.

Skirting the monsoon. There is a famous pilgrimage in Northern India called Char Dham Yatra. It’s way up north in the Himalayas and takes about 11 days of traveling to complete. It includes Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. Yamunotri is the source of the river Yamuna. Gangotri is the source of the river Ganges. Kedarnath, and Badrinath each have an ancient temple. All of these places are closed during the winter so we’ve never be able to visit them in the past. But now since we’re here in the summer it looks like a go. We’re hoping the monsoon holds off for a few more weeks.

With a little research (googling) I discovered that not all of Asia is affected by the monsoon. Bali, for one, has perfectly fine weather this time of year, although the locals think it’s cold at 85 during the day. Java, a big island in Indonesia, should also have fine weather. The east coast of Malaysia is not affected by the monsoon as well as the east coast of Sri Lanka. So we some choices. For now we’re going to see how things unfold in Northern India and take it from there. The only fixed plan we have is a round trip ticket from Boston to New Delhi. Stay tuned.