Water

Last night I dreamed that I was swimming in river in Nepal. The water was beautiful, but I had to hide myself, because I wasn't dressed correctly in the local clothes. I was worried that people would see me with my bare skin and judge me as an American floozy. As I submerged myself in the water so that I could hide myself, however, I realized that I had to be careful not to open my mouth at all. Just one mistake, and I could be drinking all sorts of bacteria that would make me extremely sick.

Water sustains all life.

Here at home, I'm surrounded by water in abundance wherever I go. I drink water out the tap, because I'm too lazy and cheap to buy fancy filtering systems. Plus, I believe that bottled water is a total scam. I can drive 35 minutes to one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the US. I take showers whenever I want to. I swim in rivers that open up to the rocks on the bottom with crystal clarity. I can visit lakes that mirror the mountains that house them. I don't feel complete unless I visit the ocean at least once every three months. The ocean washes away everything I need to let go of every time I visit. I am absolutely a water person. I define myself as someone who loves water - for it's very practical purpose, health purpose, and symbolic purpose in my life.

So I am struggling today with knowing that I'll be living in and area of the world for two years that has been said to have some of the dirtiest water in the world. Meaning that I will have to boil and filter any water that I drink, or will have to buy bottled water. The first option is just a pain. What about when I'm out and about and at a market or a restaurant? What about just being able to eat and drink what I like? The second option is just angering to me - for obvious reasons.

Today, difficulties with being surrounded by contaminated water, along with the inevitable loneliness that I will experience are top at my list of things I'm nervous about. Oh- and the malaria pills. I won't even go into the side effects of having to take malaria pills.... I have second guessed my decision to live in Nepal a couple times today. But, call for adventure still seems to win out.