I’d decided before I arrived in India that it would be better for my work and my sanity if I had an office to work out of. I realized that it’s important not only to make sure other people respect my boundaries, but that I respect my own. I’ve found lately, that there is absolutely no distinction in my life between work and play, and an office creates those boundaries. (I hope.)

In six months, I’ll be moving to the heart of Delhi to live with the husband-to-be, where we’ve already picked out a space for me that I love.  In the meantime, I’m living on the outskirts of the city where Internet is sparse, public transport is non-existent, and the electricity goes off for several hours at a time.

Despite the frustration this has caused– and it has caused a lot– I’m learning to see the positives of this situation. I’m a big-city girl at heart. I grew up in Delhi and lived in London and Bombay. I didn’t like living in Berkeley too much because it always felt like a small town, but San Francisco has become one of my favorite cities.

But I aspire to write stories that focus more on the rural parts of India than urban settings. This change of pace– moving to a smaller, less developed town in India– is a challenge I’m certainly up for.

Today was a frustrating day. The Internet went out, I couldn’t file a story until almost the last second of my deadline, and my phone company refused to give me international calling. In the end, came a gift: a story in my own backyard. A village of women right next door, who live challenging but inspiring lives. A village I wouldn’t have found had I not been living in this town.

I’m learning to, once again, see the benefits of not being constantly connected to the world.

Some of my work was published while I was moving. For your viewing pleasure.

Taxi For Her (GOOD)

Expression: A Newspaper in India Gives Women a Voice (The Women’s International Perspective)

Drama Therapy: Blind Street Workers in India find Community in the Arts (The Women’s International Perspective)