Visiting Family

I've just come back from spending 5 days in Ahmedabad in Gujurat, India. It's a state in Western India where my family is from. It is not high on the list of tourist vacation spots - only partly because it is a dry state (and I don't mean that it doesn't rain).

For me, however, it is where I think of when I think of India. While Delhi may now be the India of my adulthood, Ahmedabad will always be the India of my childhood.

My family used to come to India every couple of years when I was young so we could visit relatives. On my father's side of the family, there are 3 brothers (other than him) and two sisters. Each of whom has had two kids, and each of whom are or have been married and now have one or two children. On my mother's side, I have one aunt and her son's family. That's alot of people to visit in 5 days but I managed to visit with each of them. It was exhausting. and that's just from spending 5 days doing nothing but eating.

In reality, although I spend a lot of time "complaining" about my family, visiting them often brings me back to my childhood. From the smells and tastes of food or the city to recognizing the streets of the town, or remembering visiting my grandfather in the heart of the city. It reminds me in part of whom I or at least from where I've come.

Although I often feel like there is so much distance between us - not just of space, but of experience, I also feel a closeness to them. That they understand and know a part of me that can only be known because of our shared history and heritage.

I'm fortunate that I've had the opportunity to see each of my cousins over the years, share experiences, and attend their weddings. And while I'm not ready to see their children get married (since that would make me old), I know the time for that is rapidly approaching (I've already been told that my eldest cousin is "looking" for a bride for her son) and I look forward to seeing the history and heritage of my family grow.