We are spending two and a half months in India, more than any other country we are visiting on our journey. India claimed our attention for two main reasons. First, we wanted to experience more of our heritage and expose Ava and Kayan to the rich culture. Second, we wanted to spend time with extended family, which we don’t do during our rushed trips over the holidays. Our two main hubs were Kerala, where Sandeep’s parents are, and Goa, where my parents live.
Bidding farewell to Goa closes out the extended family portion of our journey. We’ll miss many things about this laid back coastal state. Most of all, we’ll miss family.
We’ve travelled to many beautiful places and have natural wonders ahead of us. However, we’ll feel nostalgic when we think of the day progressing in my parent’s backyard.
We’ll also miss the laid back attitude of Goa, which is particularly evident on our island of Divar, where the ferry is the only means of reaching home. It’s also where neighbors sit on their front porches in the evenings, watching the people go by and catching up on village news.
Ava and Kayan attended a wonderful morning pre-school school. They made friends “and they speak English too!” says Ava. The school was instrumental in getting Kayan potty trained.
Luckily for us, we’re not the only adventurous ones in our family. Both sets of parents plan to meet us in Africa and we’ll continue our connections with our families elsewhere in the world. However, there are somethings that can only be recreated here in Goa.
