she paints; she is a painter

“Would you like to go on the India trip?”

That was the question two years ago that set in motion all the talks I had with myself. Yes, I’m interested. Yes, I’m curious. Could I take the time (19 days)? Can I afford the expenses? What about my Westie, Teddy? Who else is on the trip? Who would share a room with me? Is the trip well organized? Could I be away from my husband that long? … To see the answers to these questions and the image that tipped the scales, please read more.

My excellent friend, Laird, organized the trip, so that was a no brainer. (She had had an extensive list of wildly successful excursions to China, Africa, China (again) Africa (again), Egypt … with her being the queen of detailed planning and unbridled enthusiasm, together with her Access China Tours group.) My good friend, Lizzie, was willing to put up with me as a roomie! My husband was so supportive he even took on the dog responsibilities, which was not easy for a full-time hematologist. BUT, the true impetus to a positive decision had been in my long term memory all along. This image:

At 11 years old I made this project about India in Grade 6. This cutout and drawing of the Taj Mahal was the cover for the unit project on a Commonwealth country. Since then, seeing this structure had been one of my life longings. (When you spend hours drawing a subject, you never forget it!)

So, I did go to India. I did see the Taj Mahal, but the image didn’t quite live up to my dream. If you’d like to see why, read my previous post: https://patleary.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/strange-day-at-the-taj-mahal/ … (When I unearthed this drawing recently, I had to write a post about it. That’s all.)