LOVING email!

Kylee finally has internet and we received her first email. She is tired and her thoughts are jumbled, but she is safe and enjoying her experience so far. Here are a few excerpts...

the traveling has been loooonnnggg, three days worth of it. i have no sense of time here and forget what day it is constantly. we head to chamba today (6 hour jeep ride)

we flew into qatar … and got there around 3AM (india time) and then we waited for about an hour for our bus to show up. we then traveled 12-14 hours on a bus. it was nice, had AC and we all had our own rows. i had taken dramamine and was doing well. there was a point later on the bus ride that i got sick, real sick. throwing up and everything. thank goodness for those airplane barf bags (saved me entirely). i didn't necessarily feel nauseous but i could not stop throwing up.

my first indian meal was sort of awful. i hated it. it was like this bread thing filled with potatoes and onions that was meant to be dipped in either those nasty curd stuff or some pickle spice thing. i seriously had to force myself to eat it and i definitely ate less than half. that first meal had me seriously worried about the food i would be eating for the next two weeks (but things have been better since, not my favorite but i do eat). the nam is the best - crisp bread (we always get garlic).

the weather & smells have been less shocking than i anticipated. not as hot and not as smelly. despite the poverty, india is GORGEOUS. the himalayas are unreal. i have taken over 300 pictures and we are only on what, day four? five? see i have no concept of time. i think going to chamba is where the shock will hit because the places we have stayed so far are so nice. our first hotel was good (minus the mouse we discovered in our room) but the one we are at now..... soooo nice. i definitely did not expect such nice places to stay while here.

i miss you guys. i especially missed mom when i was sick on the bus. sure am grateful for all you guys do… i have been near tears and cried to myself many times already. when we first arrived and were taking our early morning bus ride was when it first hit me. we are so blessed and i take so much of it for granted. the people here are so beautiful (inside & out). they find happiness in family, friends & work, not material things or money. i really feel so blessed to be here right now, to be experiencing these feelings (totally crying again as i write this).

All three of us at home were quite the site as we were reading her email. We were all in tears too.
I am so grateful, first of all for her safe arrival. Secondly, for this life changing experience. I am looking forward to meeting the changed person that will come home in a couple of weeks.

THANK YOU to everyone who has helped make this possible for Kylee. So many of you have donated time, money, laptops, and most importantly… encouragement, love and support. We are blessed to know so many wonderful people!