If there is a time during this trip Eric will feel altitude sickness it was yesterday and today. Sunday, after having woken up in Rishikesh, they ventured back through Haridwar to New Delhi for the night. Then yesterday morning they took a 400 mile plane ride to Leh, way up in the nethermost northern regions of India. Think Pakistani and Indian disputed Kashmir to the west and Tibet to the east and a difference of only 300 miles between the two. Also, from New Delhi to Leh there is a 12,000ft difference in elevation. This is where the altitude sickness meds hopefully came in handy. Eric doesn't like to take medicine if he doesn't have to normally and while packing realized that between the malarial pills, altitude meds, and other various handy remedies, (think calming the bowels of 19 days of foreign fare), he was likely packing more medicine than he had taken his entire life. At the time I thought to myself, "I definitely could never say that! ...Am I a pill popper?" Haha. So, between the flight yesterday and today, the group has been attempting to acclimate themselves to the elevation before doing anything strenuous. This means they've pretty much been chilling around Leh like a bunch of bums, taking in the sights and probably taking much needed naps. Apparently this also means hanging out with the Mayor of Leh, since they were hoping to stay in his guest house if it was available. Again, I'm just reporting on the itinerary I've been given. Perhaps I should have at least looked at it and asked questions before he left? Nah, I'm sure I'll get the nit an grit of it all after he wakes up from brushing off the jet lag upon return, as will all of you.
On a personal note... tonight I attended an AA meeting with the girls at work. For those of you who don't know, I am a courier for a local sub-acute psychiatric treatment center for teenagers with behavioral disorders. Last Monday this meant taking the campus dog, Charlotte, to the vet to get her anal glands "expressed". Charlotte is a bear weighing in at over 170lbs. Imagine me getting that thing in to a van. Today my job meant taking the girls to AA. It keeps me on my toes. As a courier we get lots of one on one time with the clients but rarely moments of deep self reflection. Ex, "Rihanna is a fool. I don't care if he's Chris Brown... nobody should let their man treat them like that." However, tonight quite a few of the girls shared their thoughts, not just in meeting but on the way back as well, ranging from "AA is so boring it makes me want to use!" to "self inventory is what saves me every day. It lets me know I don't have to use, I don't have to be perfect, but that I can take this time for me to take care of myself and progress. Alcoholism is cunning, you know? But, I know it doesn't have to control me, that I don't have to obsess about my next drink, and this is what gives me the opportunity to be myself again. To find myself again." Sometimes it is really great to simply have the opportunity to hear their most honest thoughts, that they would trust me, their staff, and others, who are complete strangers, with those most precious self reflections. At work I get to witness the tremendous amount of work that has to be done for some people to simply survive but I also get to see the amazing potential of the human resolve to carry on, to want something better, to know one's self through learning to love one's self and the courageous people who do it and as well as help facilitate it. Whether it be a therapist, client or fellow alcoholic so much of our opportunity to learn and grow comes through each other, not simply because of one another. That's all for now...
Tomorrow: Leh to Chilling, 11,000ft ASL and first day of fall semester.
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