Why would anyone love this place?

i dont know, 

its just super cool, 

fun to be in, I love the ghats, 

I love the atmosphere, peaceful and intense, 

life and death in your face, amazingly beauitful, 

so much culture, tons of hippies, 

tons of opportunity, good food, organic, good coffee

says my friend Marcus, on why he loves varanasi.  Yeah, it pretty much hits it on the head.  And this guy has seen A LOT of India!

My love for India

There is a little tree growing inside my heart.

It's name is India.

I didn't even know the seed was planted.

I don't even know when it started to grow.

But as I begin the slow move back to Boston, 

I can feel something tugging at my heart...

It's name is India.

A little tree can still have roots, and those roots are tugging at my soul.

Whether they will be strong enough to pull me back, 

only God can really know.

It could be Banares.

It could be the love of the people.

A certain fondness you can have for only certain friends.

My heart aches for a place I have not yet left.

My heart aches even as I still breathe in its air.

My heart aches even as I am here.

Oh, India.

How you've captured my soul.

Oh, India.

How you've captured my spirit.

Oh, India. 

How you've captured my imagination.

Ohhhhhhhh, India.

Still in Varanasi

Had a beautiful time in Banares, or Kashi, the City of Lights.  Went up to Saranath where Buddha preached his first sermon.  It was pretty boring, although the archaelogical museum where many of the original stonework from the ancient temples that housed about 1500 students were still there.  That was breathtaking and definitely my highlight.

In Ashapur, I got to see the Widow's Home and their awesome little bakery.  Their cookies and muffins were delicious.  It was also so cool because I ran into Luke and Bethany, who I met in Kona!  Talk about a small, small world.  The work they were doing in the prison was simply amazing.  It was the best outreach I think I had ever.  They were young boys, about 12 to 18, and 6 or 7 of them were in for murder.  But you could tell that our testimonies and stories made a really big difference in some of their lives.

Now, I am back in Banares.  I love where I am staying.  It is so beautiful.  The gardens, the peace.  And most of all the teenagers.  I got to teach a 7:30 am taek won do class to the boys...it was so cool.  Deepak's form is really really good.  And I have been playing a ton of volleyball so my arms are really sore!  I'm getting ready to move on to Dhera Dun, and it is making me very sad.  But of course, I look forward to wonderful new adventures!