first, i'd like to reiterate that my boyfriend is the best thing since sliced bread ... really. i mean, even better than starbucks, which is a distant second to his awesomeness and maybe even bottled water, (which i'm pretty sure came after sliced bread).

for my bday, he had dinner ready on my rooftop and the most incredible bouquet of lilies and roses you will ever find this side of the mississippi. although it was a bit cold and windy, it was probably the most romantic birthday i've ever had. no crowds, no chaos ... just us, the l.a. skyline, great food and wine and the unbeatable taste of beef before leaving for india :) we watched atonement (fantastic, by the way) and off to bed i was!

friday was the bigger evening. he had a planned a fun trip to disney land and reserved a table for us at a restaurant in the pirates of the Caribbean ride. the food ... amazing. then we giggled our way to space mountain, running the entire way in order to beat the fireworks crowd to the line. a success. :)

he planned a spa day for me on saturday before i got on my flight to india. ahhh ... rest and relaxation. he has figured out a way to get me to stop running like a mad woman. just put me in a spa and i'll calm down ... at least while i'm in there.

we drove to the airport (probably one of the more depressing days i've had in a while) and i said good bye to my best friend. i'm pretty sure i cried through the ticket line, security line and about an hour into the flight. yeah. not a good time.

my 25 hour plane ride to india went well. a bit crowded, but as to be expected. i got some sleep, ate disgusting airline food and met some really cool people. when i landed in delhi, i realized how much i had missed this place.

prab and arjun kept me up all day yesterday so that i could acclimate to the time change (ugh) and i had the opportunity to meet some great people in a twelve hour time period. the food has been excellent, the sites a flash of last year's trip and the conversation invigorating.

this trip has already solidified that i would prefer to never be away from vince. i want to share these experiences with him. i want to be able to explore the world TOGETHER, not from the telephone or email while being on opposite ends of the earth.

and i've learned that india has a special place in my heart. the people. the momentum. the culture. even the rising economy brings me an energy that i've been missing for a while.