Last full day in Mango Land

Tomorrow I leave to go back to the States. My experience in India has been one of ups and downs, but mostly ups. It has been a trip that I will remember for the rest of my life and definitely not the last time I'll be visiting. The hospitality in this country is almost overwhelming... people are so nice and want to stuff your face with food always. Tiffany and I finished our wish list besides a few minor things. I will miss all my friends at the Ashram, Amma (Vinu's mother), and especially Vinu. We had to say farewell to Vinu yesterday morning because she left for a conference in Tanzania on child poverty. It was hard to say goodbye to someone that I admire so very much. To be honest, I was fighting back tears as we shared the longest hug and she drove away. She would really like me to come back next summer to write a book on the amazing women of Shanti Ashram/nearby villages (if you have read Half the Sky, it will be the Half the Sky of Shanti)!~ ~I'll keep this short so I can spend my last day enjoying Shanti with my new friends. See you all in the States soon!~ Peace and Love.~ p.s. I will continue writing old posts once I return, including a long one about Dr. Vinu's amazingness