pre-trip jitters

So in four short days I will be jetting off to India. And I'm crazy excited. I feel like this is the first honest to goodness adventure of my life. I don't know much at all about India. I have a collection of images of the place in my mind-some from news, some from books, some just from imagination-but mostly it's just one big blur of not knowing. When I went to France, I felt fairly confident that I had some idea of what I was getting into. But this is a whole new ballgame. I've never had to get shots to go somewhere or fill a prescription for anti-malarial pills or find 30% DEET or more mosquito repellent. I've never had to worry about wearing culture appropriate clothing or having to wonder if my Western status will garner me unwanted attention or animosity (this might be ignorant but that's the whole thing, I am admittedly ignorant when it comes to what's awaiting me over in that big, beautiful, mysterious country). So to sum up, all of this not knowing has gotten me a wee bit nervous. Okay, more like scared. But the thing is, I've always believed that if you go too long without doing things that scare, no, terrify you, then you're probably not really living the life you want. The best things I've ever done have been things that have at one point been really scary-going to Charleston, going to Paris for a semester, trying oysters. And so by that logic India should be really amazing. So I'm going to keep making my packing checklist, putting together my medicine kit, buying my solar guard, bug guard clothing and then come Friday I'm just going to leap. I've never had any interest in bungee jumping or skydiving, but this might be the closest I get. I'm going to have faith that my bungee cord will work and my parachute will open, and that despite how terrifying those first few seconds of free fall are, two weeks in India will be the ride of my life.