Landed (Plus, a sweet recipe)

Payasam Overnight OatsI’ve been home for over a week now, and yet I feel like I’ve just landed. For the first bunch of days, I just felt like I wasn’t quite here. My timing was all off. I wasn’t sure what to eat. I felt all floaty, sort of. And, it was delicious. READ MORE >

How far would you travel for a hug?

I interrupt this regularly scheduled Indian food post to bring you my thoughts on the perfect hug.

Here I am in Kovalam, India waiting for the taxi to take me to the airport. I’ve been meaning to write this post for about 2 weeks, and I finally have the mental space, here in the wee hours of the morning. Though it feels a little, hmmm, vulnerable, to put it all the way out there on the internet. READ MORE >

Perfect Meals, Part I

All the food is good here. In the weirdest way. I’m not eating anything that I would normally eat. The things that feel safe and clean and healthy are things I would try to avoid in the US. And yet somehow it works. Maybe even better than at home. READ MORE >

Chill Zone

lilly padsThere is a sign I pass every day that says Chill Zone. I’ve never stopped. But I always wonder what goes on there. Do people just magically feel all relaxed? In America it would likely be some weird pod place where you plug yourself into a chair. But here I suspect it’s an ice cream shop.  In any case, I love the name. It’s part of what I hoped to do here. Chill. Get the vrittis to stop spinning so fast. Let the extraneous mind chatter go in order to make space for some important stuff. READ MORE >