It's not you...

It's India. 

Where have I been?  What have I been up to?  What is India like?  How is my research going?  Why haven't I posted on my blog in a month?

Things work a bit differently here, and for better or worse, things aren't "working" as smoothly as a person with a mono-cultural western upbringing would hope.  Am I complaining?  A bit.  Learning?  A ton.  Culture-shock-ing?  Definitely.  Growing?  You bet.

Now, when I say "it's India," I don't necessarily want to blame an entire country for the fact that I haven't been posting on my blog.  What I do want to do, however, is point to the ways in which occupying space in the most populated country in the world makes it tricky to meet all of the goals you set. 

The trickiness of Delhi lies mostly in the timing of Delhi.  It simply takes a bit longer to get certain things taken care of here.  Figuring out where/how to live, finding said living space, connecting with the right people for my research, locating a place to buy contact lenses and buying a toilet seat have all been a part of my first month and a half in India (among other things, let me assure you!).  While these things have taken a bit of time, you can always count on Delhi for endless amounts of delicious Indian food, multiple locations to take passport photos, quick and easy leather book-binding, markets galore and chai to die for.

In so many ways, lots of prayer has been answered for my first month and a half in Delhi.  I am blessed to be living with a great friend, we have a safe and affordable apartment, our neighbors are amazing, and the connections I've made for my research are fantastic!  I'm planning my first interviews with TCKs and those who work with TCKs for next week, and I am making many international and Indian friends.  

One of the most exciting opportunities I'll have this year is presenting on TCKs and spiritual formation at the FIGT (Families in Global Transition) Conference this March!  I am beyond excited for this experience and honored to be part of the FIGT community.  As my research becomes more focused, I hope to blog a bit more about my findings, questions and ruminations concerning TCKs and faith. 

I am thankful for the endless support of my family, friends and loved ones as I learn how to live day-by-day a world away from the place I know as home.  God has blessed me greatly with all of you, and with this opportunity!

Comments

[Dan Regan]

Abby,

Thanks for the update. So, you're going to be in Houston in March? Let me mark that down - it's practically in the neighborhood. Sounds like you're settling in nicely, actually. I mean, now you've got a roof over your head, you can see straight and you have a nice place to sit. What more is needed in life? Keep the posts coming and bless you, bless you, bless you. This was a GREAT decision!

Dan