Village Stays in India

From the NY Times:

I just enjoyed reading this story about villagers in the hills of Darjeeling opening their homes to travelers for home stays.  I love this quote, which is so true:

“Only a few days?” he said, appalled. “You have to stay at least two or three months to enjoy this place, to even begin to understand it. What are you going to learn in three days?”

So remember that when you go travel.  A few days is never enough.  Like the Dutch teachers I met in New Zealand in 2003 told me, “Take your time.”

It’s funny how a random, brief interaction with two people can create an impression – a directive, even – that you remember years later.  I was somewhere on the path (track in the Kiwi parlance) to see Tane Mahuta -Lord of the Forest, and the largest known living kauri tree in New Zealand.  The kauri tree lives in Trounson Kauri Park  on the North Island.  I think I was already receptive to their message of slowing down my travels, which is why it resonated with me in a way that allowed me to change my travel plans completely.

I had planned to go to South America, study Spanish in Bariloche, Argentine, then go to China, then get a job … Instead, I loved New Zealand so much, I extended my stay until after the premiere of The Return of the King.  Yes, I am a fan.  Although I think Tolkein was not the best writer in the world, Peter Jackson and his team did a fantastic job putting the story on the big screen.  For the premiere of the final movie, there was going to be a big celebration in Wellington I didn’t want to miss.

I won’t gore into more gory detail that’s already covered in the daily details of my state of mind.  But almost six years later, “Take your time,” still resonates.  How many other life altering messages are there that we can hear when we’re in the right frame of mind?

All that from a story about staying in a village in the hills of Darjeeling.

Journeys - Villagers in India Open Their Homes