Today’s post on being thankful is dedicated to the beautiful country of India! I honestly don’t even know where to start with this one, because I have a long list of things. Ok, I’ll start with my phobias that I’ve had to overcome while being here.
Phobia #1: Large bodies of water. I’m not afraid of water, but I do not feel comfortable being surrounded by large bodies of water or driving on bridges that go over water. I’m not much of a swimmer, but I especially do not like getting in water if I can’t see the bottom. Being in Kochi for the past couple of years has forced me to get over that phobia real quick, because we are surrounded by water! In our first apartment, we could literally see The Arabian Sea from our window. I eventually learned to appreciate the view, and the few bridges that we’ve had to cross haven’t been too bad.
Phobia #2: Head lice. First let me start off by saying, if I see someone with lice, I immediately want to start checking their head and cleaning it out. I know, I know, gross and weird, but whatever. Lol But it’s also a phobia of mine bc for some strange reason, they love my head, and if I’m in the same room with someone who has them, chance are very high that i will walk away from that visit with an unwelcomed guest, even if I didn’t go near that person! India is a very crowded place, So for the first few months of us being here, I saw so many girls with head lice! We’d be squished in an elevator at the mall, and I’m standing next to a girl who’s got them. And I’ll just lock eyes with jeremiah and give him a look of terror. (He would laugh!) Honestly, I haven’t figured out why so many ppl here have them. I’m guessing maybe bc it’s so hot and humid, I’m not sure. Just in case you’re wondering, because I know you are, yes, I’ve gotten them a couple of times over here. And yes, I panicked like crazy, and was obsessed with picking my head like a monkey, and I smelled like vinegar for weeks bc even though I was lice free after a couple of days, I still treated my hair bc just in case… You never know! This phobia might have been a little TMI, but hey, this is real stuff,man! Lol Is your head starting to itch by hearing me talk about it??? Lol Mine is!! Hahaha PS. We don’t get in elevators anymore!
Phobia #3: Rats. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a deep hatred for any type of rodent or anything that looks like one, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, etc…ugh. India has rats in all shapes, sizes, colors, and they’re isn’t a shortage of these creatures either..lol I’m so grateful that it’s not so bad in Kochi. Don’t get me wrong, they’re there. I’ve seen my share of rats and I get grossed out every single time. Here’s a funny story for you… We were at a small shop looking for ethnic wear with some friends. I was walking towards the back to try a dress on, and I stepped on something squishy. I didn’t think anything of it and kept walking. Well, something told me to look back and see what it was, and it was a mouse!!!! It was army crawling to the other side of the store. I screamed so loud, that people from the downstairs shop and people from outside came running up the stairs to see what was wrong. Oh. My. Goodness. I was so freaked out, I didn’t care that they laughed, all I know is I wanted out of there… Forget the dress! Lol Well… This one I haven’t quite overcome yet. I’m still working on it.
So yes, India has helped me overcome and work through these phobias, and for that, I am grateful.
India has also shown me that there is a lot that I can live without. For instance, we haven’t had a dryer the whole time we’ve been here. We have to hang our clothes on a dryer rack, and it’s no problem at all. We just got a small convection oven, but I lived 2 years without an oven. We managed by making no bake desserts, if we had a sweet tooth. I’ve learned to make so many different foods from scratch because they don’t offer them here, or if they do, it’s so expensive. Now, we all know that I’m no Betty Crocker, nor have I ever been. Me and the kitchen have a love-hate relationship, mostly hate. However, I’ve been shocking myself with the things I’ve been making from scratch, and they actually come out tasting pretty good! It may not look good, but it tastes good and that’s all that matters… Right!?! So today, I made homemade pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie tomorrow. Jeremiah went to the butcher and got us a ham that I’m gonna have to clean and season all by myself. There’s no fully cooked spiral cut honey glazed hams here. I’m nervous as heck about having to make that! Jordyn and I have been on a gluten free diet bc of some medical issues we were having, so we’ve been looking up different Gluten free recipes and our Thanksgiving pies will be gluten free! Had we been in America, I know for a fact we would’ve just gone to the store to buy ready made gluten free stuff. Well, it’s not very common here, so it is hard to find anything without gluten here in South India.
I’ve learned to be thankful for every single inconvenience that I’ve come across. I make the best out of every situation, or at least try to. I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life so much more. We weren’t able to go to my son’s wedding, and after i cried, I thought to myself, I am so grateful for Livestream. This wasn’t available some years back, but it is for me. India has also taught me to relax. It’s definitely a slower paced life for us compared to life in America. Except the driving, there’s nothing slow paced about the driving! Nothing. We’ve learned to appreciate eachother more, as a family. Our family has gotten so much closer. You would think bc we’re always together we’d get tired of eachother and start bickering. For the most part, It’s not like that… Well… Unless I’m the one who starts it! Lol
India has been so good to us as a family and individually. Every single one of us have gone beyond our comfort zone in some way. From learning the local language, to getting on a rick Shaw or Uber alone, trying new food, asking a local for directions, riding a scooter,… Whatever it may be, we have learned to live our lives in our new normal. I’m so grateful that I have changed so much while living India. I’m doing things that I never thought possible. Sometimes we’ll be driving and Jeremiah will say, “Can u believe we’re in the middle of India!?” It seriously doesn’t seem real, And I almost forgot what life was like in America.
India will forever be etched in our hearts. It is in India where I found out what it’s really like to trust God. It is in India where I realized that I needed a deeper relationship with God. It is in India where my family got stronger. You know, it’s a beautiful thing when you have nothing or no one else to rely on, but God. He is so good and so faithful, and I have definitely felt God the most, here in India.
What an honor and a joy it is to be here learning and living outside of our comfort zone.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6-7
The Wacker Factor 