Travel Diaries 4 - Louisville, Kentucky

It’s been more than a month I am here and snow doesn't seem to leave Louisville. With the two snow storms during this period, I haven’t experienced a temperature more than 5 degree Celsius for around 35 days. I do like this kind of weather and I am in complete love with the snow fall. No matter how many times I see and feel it, every time it’s a treat for me.  But on a bad side, this is freezing cold and doesn’t allow me to step out of my hotel!

I think, this is a type of time I might not get back in India, all alone, all to myself which makes it introvert. Many people go on mountains or on remote beaches to meditate and dig at the inner self. But I can assure you, when you are forced to stay indoor with a freezing weather which doesn’t seem to rise to even a 0 degree Celsius, gives the same feeling excluding the fresh air part as all the air I am breathing so far is a warm one from heaters!

So here I am, meditating, reading some good books, trying my hand on paintings, watching some senseless movies, trying weird foods and being nostalgic. Yes, I miss my home and my people too (sometimes :P).

Travel Diaries 3 - Life @ Louisville

Staying alone in states is offering me to do and feel various things that I had never imagined! Staying at France was a soothing experience as I had an awesome team with me. But believe me, first few lonely days in US were really bad! In initial days, I was like 'what exactly on the earth I am doing' but now, its kind of a routine and I have started enjoying it. Following are some of the major impacts. Now these are my personal experiences and does not relate anywhere near to India-America comparison! 

1. This is what I see when I come out on road here and when I come out of road in Pune. See, no people, only geese!

 


2. This is what I eat here and in Pune. Of course I can prepare the food I want to eat over here but as they say, 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do' I am following 'When in America, eat as the Americans eat' (by food, I dont mean any fast food here!)

   

      

3. These are the tv shows I watch here (as there are no more channels on tv which I can watch) and in Pune

    

So, life is good and its nice to know, staying alone in foreign country is not so difficult. But staying away from loved ones can make you sick sometimes! Right now, looking forward to go back now, stay there till I get bored of the routine life at Pune and wish to come US again :)

Travel Diaries 2 - Downtown Louisville

It was a long tiring journey, I found myself revolving around the world and shutting myself about 14 time zones backward!

After changing from Mumbai-Paris flight to Paris-Minneapolis, the 9.5 + 8.5 hours which passed without any real incidents, horribly jet lagged and going through terrifying immigration check at Minneapolis airport, I stepped in the U.S of A. I was simply not in a mood to pick up my 21kg luggage (sorry, around 47 pounds of luggage as that’s the way they measure it here) but had to go to carousel! I spotted my bag, bent down to get it and it gave a terrible pain in my back muscle. With a same feeling of pain, I started off for my next flight, observing western faces, perfect English, familiar fast food chains with outrageous prices, I headed to a tiny plane to Louisville and after around 2 hours, I touched the town.

Well, Louisville downtown seems glamorous but the part of the city I stay is a bit away from glamor and fast-pace I had expected. It’s cold (for now), it’s peaceful and yes it’s beautiful. About the bad thing, very low public transportation so you either have to have a car or have to rent one or use a taxi (which I feel is a bit costly option!). There are lots of places to visit but I have to find myself some means of transport!

Now, I am trying to get used to, to have temperature in Fahrenheit instead Celsius, distance in Miles instead of Kilometers and most importantly Dollars instead of Rupees! (it hurts when every time you pay the bills and convert it to Rupees in your mind...) That's the beginning of adventure in America...