Happy Holi!

I am so sorry for my horrendous lack of updates. I do have internet here, but it's insanely slow and not wireless, so uploading all of my pictures is going to have to wait. It's frustrating not to have more time to say all that I'd like to say or have a more suitable place to concentrate on things, but this will have to do for now.

When I do finally get a chance to update my photos, I'm quite sure that your jealousy will consume you. It is so utterly amazing here. Everything is so rich in life and culture and color. Every day is a beautiful adventure. As one of my new friends, Jordan, said over breakfast yesterday, "there's something really so magical about this place. It feels almost enchanted."

Yes, enchanted. If I had to pick one word, it would be enchanted, although even that doesn't begin to do this wonder of a place the justice it deserves. I literally cannot open my eyes without feeling inspired. The whole city seems to resonate with such gorgeous energy. I've never felt so alive.

Today was the Holi festival, the celebration of spring and the victory of good over evil. We wore all white and walked out into the street. Hundreds of children came running over in order to cover us with water and dye. Water balloons hit the street around us. By the time we left to go to the rooftop of our program director for our official celebration, we were already walking masterpieces of blues and pinks and greens. We spent the afternoon dancing and drinking and laughing and coloring one another from head to toe. I took two showers and am still completely covered. My hair is so shockingly bright green and probably will be for the next week or so. I really wish I could put my pictures up. They're extraordinary.

It was so wonderful to bond with everyone that way, to skip the usual awkward conversations (although we've done most of those) and just get to a place where we were comfortable holding each other down and drenching one another with every color of the rainbow. I've never been so dirty and stupendously happy in my life. It really was one of the greatest days I've ever experienced.

We've been seeing so many sights and I'll explain them all in greater detail when I can upload the pictures and think about this a bit more. Please excuse how truly scattered and rough this is, and that most likely all of my updates to follow will be. It's somewhat difficult to wrap my head around anything, especially in the few moments I have to come here and attempt to share some of what I'm seeing and doing and feeling.

I've had more mixed feelings here than I've had in a while, and daily feel like crying with both immense sorrow and joy and utter peace with myself and the world around me. I feel everything here so deeply, as though my soul has been longing for this kind of release throughout my entire existence thus far. I guess in so many ways, it has. I've been here 5 days and already feel like a completely different person - in a good way, in the best way. I can feel myself change from the time I awake to the time I fall asleep. Each day I am one step closer to understanding.

Anyway, out of the millions upon millions of things I have to say, this will have to do for now. India. I'm so very much head over heels in love with this place.

India.