This new session of volunteers is very intimate. There are
only 4 of them, they are all girls and one of them happens to be my life long
little sister Tregani. Our families have lived next door to one another for a
good 18 years, and I don’t think there is anything we haven’t gone through
together. Literally though. I would write out the list but it would be too
long. It makes sense that Treg and I would do India together as well. Sadly,
she missed her flight in London and was delayed getting here, but we found her
at the airport and all was well. Poor Laurel through, I was getting phone calls
through out the night about this volunteer who missed their flight whose name
was “Tray-go-nigh” and her mother’s name was Laurel. I explained to the US
office that I am good friends with the family and asked them to tell Laurel
that Ashley will take care of it, but I don’t know if that message ever made it
to her—I never heard back that it did anyway. Laurel and Papa Wayne were
probably cursing my name through out the process though. Blankety
Blank Ashley, telling Treagni she should come to India! Oh well though. My
little sis is here and safe and I love it! Never in my wildest dreams did I
ever think we would add this to the list of things we go through together.
However, I think it is also pretty safe to say I wouldn’t have ever guessed
half the things that are on our list would have been there either. AND—she
brought me purple Skittles from home! Along with face wash, roman noodles,
raspberry jam and some of my leggings. God bless her.
There really wasn’t any huge welcome to India happenings for
the Super Girls-except for the drive back to campus was especially intense this
time. For sure more so than usual—there was at least a couple of VERY near car
wrecks on our way back. I hesitate to say that because I don’t want to worry
people at home-our drivers are very very good at what they do. That is why they
were near car wrecks and not actually
car wrecks. My adrenaline shot way up on both occasions though.
In the first few days of the session Tregani, Alex (another
volunteer) and I went for a walk in the village. We didn’t make it very far
because we turned at the first little shrine/temple that is just around the
bend in the road. It was a cool little detour—we found more shrines farther
down the road, and just happened to walk by a crop of cannabis…which was very fitting
considering the Barney/Ward history. We couldn’t pass up the photo op—and I
figure since it is in another country AND we are not using it, there shouldn’t
be an issue with me posting it. Fingers crossed just in case.
