I have arrived in Hyderabad!! Finally! My adventure began when I landed in Delhi. I was a little nervous about what to expect when I arrived in Delhi. I feel like I always realize a little too late (like as the plane is making its final descent) that I haven't actually done the proper research on the place that I am landing. I had that moment, yet again, as we headed into Delhi and I realized that I really had no idea how I was going to find my next flight, if I had to go through customs, how widely English would be spoken, and if signs would be printed in English. I also realized that we were landing a few minutes late and my next flight was departing in less than an hour. Finally, it occurred to me that I stand out a bit like a sore thumb with blond hair and blue eyes and I am travelling alone.

At the end of the story I make it to Hyderabad but not before I discover the wonders of Delhi. P.S., there are in fact TWO airports in Delhi (a fact that Orbitz failed to inform me of) so took an (overpriced) taxi ride to take a tour of the domestic airport about 15 minutes after my scheduled flight departed. Fortunately the VIP Customer Service rep for the airport took pity on me and helped get me sorted, get to the correct airport, hire a taxi at the correct price, and get a new flight. I'm so thankful for his kindness... at that point I was so tired and frustrated that I probably would have ended up crying on the side of the road in Delhi somewhere if he hadn't. I finally landed in Hyderabad at 3:30AM. Mark and Liddy waited faithfully for me to finally get there... I was supposed to land at 7:50PM and didn't have any way of letting them know that I was stuck!!!

The sights and sounds and smells of India are mesmerizing. I'm getting a crash course in a culture that is so exotically different than my own. I'm so glad that I am here!!! We went over to the school this morning to meet the teachers. They are so sweet and I'm so glad Mark and Liz have had such a loving Indian "family" to keep an eye on them. They greeted me with smiles and a "Welcome to India" card with instructions to "Open with a smile." The practice has paid off because they can all pronounce and spell my name better than people that have known me most of my life. Just kidding, but I am flattered that they practiced my name before I got here!

I am enjoying my first meal with Mark and Liz. They have excitedly prepared one of the boxes of Velveeta shells and cheese that I brought for them =). Tonight we are going out to explore the fabulous local cuisine (or hopefully I think its fabulous).

Seek lovingly....