I realized the other day that I have now been back home for
a longer period of time than the actual amount of time I spent in India and
Nepal from June to August. This kind of surprised me for I can’t really account
for a whole lot during this time post India. Yet I did finish writing the
memoir of that trip. And now the screenplay to Overland is in the works, with
some serious interest to produce the film or TV version of my book. Also I’ve
been in the hunt for a US literary agent and getting close to signing with one.
I always wanted to have an agent. It just sounded so cool to say, “yah, I was
just on the phone with my agent.”

Aside from such delusory sayings, having an agent is a big step in publishing books with
top name book publishers.

All this sound good and all, and it is …yet when you travel
every moment of every day is packed with such sensory overload that it propels
you into a so called “super life”, far far away from the drudgeries and routine
of the everyday life. This is what I like about traveling, even if within that
moment it is a simple stop at a tea stall, or buying bananas from a local fruit
seller. We all do these same things here, but doing them over there is what stands out as living that
super life, even though it is the same functions and somewhat routine chores we
carry out on a daily basis here…it is the
there that makes it all be so special, to be amongst the people, the
streets, the chaos and the electricity of excitement that runs through you.

How I miss it all…I’m reminded of a portion of dialog from
an art house film, My Dinner with Andre
from the early 1980’s. This from Wikipedia about the film: The film depicts a
conversation between two old friends in a chic
restaurant in New York City. Based mostly on conversation, the
dialogue contrasts Shawn’s modest, down-to-earth humanism with
Gregory’s extravagant spiritual experiences in India.

Gregory had just returned from his trip to India and rhapsodized about everything Indian. Shawn
goes on to say he can get the same thrill buying a tooth brush walking up 32^nd Street in Manhattan.

I had to buy a toothbrush the other day and drove to my local store to get one. I didn’t get
the same thrill as Shawn…Hopefully, the next time I need a toothbrush, I’ll probably fly to India to get one.