• Part 1

It was mid May and the year 2015. My mom had just started packing all of our things in duffel bags and backpacks. Why? Well, lets just say we were going to be traveling 8,448 miles( 13, 595 kilometers ) away from the United States. Where were we traveling exactly? If you guessed India. You are correct. Our house was a flurry of bags and clothes for about a month. I was attempting to help my mother. But I don’t thing sitting there reading while answering yes or no questions is a technical term for helping.

“Kanmani do you wa–” My mom stopped as I held up my pointer finger in a stance saying “wait.” I was reading a 982 page book about dragons.

“Kanmani I said do y–.”

“Shh.” My finger still pointed to the ceiling.

“Kanmani do you want your own ba–”

“Mother I am busy at the moment.” I said calmly

My mom sighed as I continued to the depths of my thick book.

“KANMANI!” My mom said in exasperation.

My head instantly snapped back into reality. “Huh!?” I said in unison to my mothers annoyed sighs. See here’s the thing. I am a huge reader. I mean if I start reading a book and it’s really really good, or in one of my favorite genre’s. I won’t speak to you for days. If I don’t answer you the first 6 times you try to get my attention, you won’t be able to make physical contact with me for about 2 to 4hours depending on the book. If it’s a book with more than 500 pages you won’t be able to speak to me without me explaining every single detail in the book, or I just won’t pay attention altogether for days. Anyway I stood up and asked “What did you want to ask me mom?” My mom replied with a  relieved face “I was going to ask you if you wanted you’re own bag to take to India. I’ll let you pack it yourself. But I’m only giving you a backpack not a roller bag, got it?” I nodded my head as she handed me a humongous backpack that weighed almost like nothing. I took it upstairs to my room and made a checklist in my head.

I took out a piece of paper and started writing, I checked of everything that I put in. But something definitely was missing… OH. MY. GOD. I forgot to put in books. I FORGOT TO PUT IN BOOKS! WHAT KIND OF PERSON AM I FOR DOING THIS? I thought( I was ten at the time I went, so I used a lot of hyperbole’s and exaggerated a lot.) I grabbed a few books and my Kindle and put them inside. My mom was packing all of our clothing in a separate piece of luggage so we didn’t have to lug huge bags with us throughout the whole trip. One disadvantage we had while packing was my brother. He always hopped onto anything big and bulky with a zipper and try to package himself into luggage. Therefore leading me to have the unfortunate responsibility  of dealing with the human version of a kangaroo. All afternoon this is what happened:

“Madhavan get out of there! You’re going to suffocate!” I yelled as I ran downstairs to see my brother concealing himself in a huge roller bag.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!” He taunted.

“UUUUUUUHHHHHHHH. GET. BACK. HERE. BEFORE I WHACK YOU WITH A BOOK THAT HAS 982 PAGES IN IT AND A HARD COVER.” I said in an edgy tone, my voice rising.

“NA NANA NA NA!” He retorted with a ridiculous grin on his face as he ran around the living room, making bags topple and fall, in order to escape my vengeance, he hopped into of the biggest bag that was empty and closed the lid. I looked for him everywhere for about 15 minutes, then I heard snickering coming from one of the big bags. As he got out to run away I strangled him. He had no escape. I then dragged him upstairs, he ran to the bed, but instead he fell hard onto the pillow mountain towering him. I got the pillows and put them around him so he was basically stuck in a mound of blankets and pillows with only his head sticking out. “Ha ha.” I said. I knew he would escape later though.

This was basically how my days started and ended when we were packing and planning for India. I became a little bit more helpful with packing by keeping my brother from becoming a package.

I continued packing a few more things in my backpack and printed out a checklist that I could use as well. This was I had on my list:

• Books
• Bracelets
• Elastics
• First Aid Kit
• Lip Balm
• Mini Fan
• Hand Sanitizer
• Sticker Book( For Madhavan)
• Kindle
• IPod
• Earbuds
• Glasses Case/Glasses

I put everything inside, since it wasn’t that much it wasn’t that hard to put everything inside. But as the days passed by, my mom put more and more things into my bag and by the time it was the week of departure, it drooped on my shoulders. A few days before we were going to leave my dad had printed out a long checklist my mom asked me to check everything off.

“Toothbrushes?’ She asked.

“Check.” I said as I checked it off the list.

“Toothpaste?”

“Check.”

“Hair brushes and elastics?”

“Check check.”

“Shower caps, lotion, and, pads?”

“Check check check.”

And so on.

I woke up one Sunday morning I took a shower and put on my regular clothes for home. I decided to take one shower in the afternoon so I can be fresh with the new clothes we bought for the flight. We spent most of the day checking the house, cleaning up, and doing last minute checks and calls. Soon the sky was a shade of darkish light blue. I took a shower and put on blue jeans, a purple tee shirt, and a clip for my hair. Sekar periyappa( periyappa that means uncle)came and we went down the steps to his big red car. I helped my dad put the bags in the trunk and put my backpack next to the seat I was using. I had a whole row to myself because there were three rows.

My peryiappa and my dad in the front, my mom and brother in the middle, and I was in the back. We had to go to the Singapore Airlines Boarding area in San Fransisco. We were going to be driving for one hour. We stopped by Downtown Pleasant Hill to grab some smoothies from Jamba Juice. As we drove I sipped on my strawberry smoothie looking out the window. I talked with my mother and brother about what I wanted to do and see while my dad and periyappa talked about the flight, what we plan to do, and when we need him when we come back.

We had finally arrived in front of the airport. The architecture was still the same inside and out, everything was exactly like it was when I was 7 years old. But I still marveled at the sight of the roof that looked like the metal was twisting and twisting, and the poles making it stand looked as if they were brambles holding up dainty roses. We walked inside my backpack on my broad shoulders. We went to the baggage check in line. We checked in our bags and then we sat at one of the benches nearby these glass cases that showcased Asian jewelry and crowns. While the adults talked, my brother and I marveled at the treasures. But then my mom and I had to go to the bathroom. My mom and I walked to the bathroom nearby. Now let me make this clear. Not only do I love the architecture of the airport but the bathrooms they build are super cool. I know that sounds really weird, but if you don’t believe me, look in the internet or go there when you travel.

After we went to this restaurant for dinner. We had burgers and fries. After that we talked a bit more and then we had to go to the security clearance. While we were in the line we waved goodbye to periyappa. He stood there until we couldn’t see him and he couldn’t see us. I felt really bad and really sad. Throughout the whole thing right until this point he kept asking if we needed anything or if we needed him for anything extra for when we got back. That’s just the way he is. That is how my whole family is. Different and yet the same. We got the one of the security guards that checked our passports for well, security. She seemed tired and looked like she wanted to go home. seeing thousands of people, each and every day. That’s just hard to achieve.

We then walked towards the gate. We went up a long escalator and when we stepped of we saw rows and rows of shops. My brother loved the escalator though. When we were waiting for the flight he didn’t sit still, he ran up and down the isles, his little Mickey mouse backpack on his shoulders. he stood by his window his face pressed against the extremely clean glass staring in awe at the airplane. I listened to music on my IPod as I looked at the window. We finally boarded the plane at 12:15.( It was actually supposed to be able to let passengers in at 12:05 but it came a bit late). I shuffled through the packed line, finally my foot stepped onto the floor of the bridge binding the plane and building for boarding. My parents were a few steps behind my brother and I. We found our seats. I chose to sit near the window, my brother in the middle, my mother next to him, and my dad was next to us in a different row. Flight took off at 1:15 sharp. I watched through the window as the San Fransisco skyline became smaller and smaller, as we rose higher and higher. We were airborne, I loved the feeling of soaring, I didn’t want it to stop. The world was passing by so quickly but I was ready.  Ready or not, here I come.