No Tanya, No Cry

My sister leaves tomorrow morning to spend a year in the rice paddies of Bangladesh researching gender development in rural areas with her Fulbright Grant. I can't say that I'm not totally bumming out about the prospect of not having anyone with whom to share my immature toilet humor (with Josh?...are you kidding?) for an entire calendar year, but I must also acknowledge the enormous opportunity this is for her. I can't wait to hear all about her adventures in Dhaka and the villages of Bangladesh, as well as updates about our family in Calcutta. She'll be visiting Cal during Durga Puja, a festive celebration honoring the Hindu goddess Ma Durga, in late October this year - I'm very envious. Rumor has it that this occassion can only be truly experienced on the streets of Calcutta, not in a rented banquet hall somewhere in Troy, Michigan. I'll just have to opt for the latter, I guess.

*sigh* I'm driving home tonight and coming back to Ann Arbor less than 12 hours later just so that I can see my sis before she leaves in the morning. I'm wiping away a little tear just thinking about her being gone for so long, but also because I'm the proudest dang sister there ever was. Bon voyage and best of luck, T.

xoxox