We arrived in Mumbai shortly after Indian Independence Day. Finally making it through customs at around 2 AM this past Friday. Well over 24 hours of total travel time, my estimate based on a rudimentary understanding of time zones is that all total we were in transit for a total of 29 hours. We did this with a 15 month old, an in-cabin pet, and 8 suitcases. Not to mention my backpack, a car seat, and a stroller.
In the moment, this was incredibly stressful. With hindsight of a few days, I can say I think this was the most stressful trip I have ever taken in my life. And we were lucky, both our son and our dog are good travelers, we made it through without any major meltdowns or accidents.
Due to the aforementioned son and dog, this trip is very much different from any that I have taken in the past. Traveling abroad for an extended period of time is not completely novel to me[1], but traveling with all of my responsibilities in tow certainly is. Especially as a parent, I am finding that it's necessary to temper my usual adventurous approach to exploring a new city with the consideration of what's best and least traumatizing for a toddler. For example, I am not about to brave Mumbai traffic as a pedestrian (an art unto itself!) with a 15-month old on my hip.
The city is massive. I haven't been able to get a good look at it, but it feels endless. Like a great plain, but rather than grass it's covered in a seething mass of people and concrete. Always moving. Honking. Incessantly humming its own distinct atonal song.
Other things we are having to navigate and decipher. The apartment building and all its unique rhythms. One of the first challenges we faced after our first day here was: what do we do with the garbage? We were at a total loss as there are no trash chutes or any of the typical things we would expect based on our years of apartment living in the U.S. I had to ask the security guard posted at our front door. A very serious man, who nevertheless flashes a knowing smile any time I walk up to him, because he knows I'm about to ask him something silly or naive. Turns out that I'm just supposed to leave our garbage bags in front of our door and every day around 10 or 11 the building staff will swing by and pick it up. I never would have guessed.
On the nature of the trash itself, guidelines are that we're supposed to separate "wet" trash from "dry" trash. We have yet to get a clear definition of either. When we asked some folks from the consulate who have already been here for nearly a year, they confessed that they are still unclear on which is which. Either way, I have different colored trash bags I'm supposed to use and I have a creeping paranoia that the building staff are going to confront me about their misuse in the near future. But that's okay, there's time to learn.
Many other things have happened in the few short days we've been here. I won't bore you with an itemized list. Suffice it so say, this is a challenge and we're going to spend a lot of time being silly and making mistakes. Oh, one thing I will mention, though, is that the takeout food — which we've had to eat quite a bit of while we figure out groceries and things — is exceptionally good so far.
Here we are at the beginning of quite a long journey. I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that we will be here in this gargantuan city for two years. That's twice as long as my son has been alive. Some of his first memories are probably going to be this city, culture, and people. That's both an exciting and a terrifying prospect. Partly because I have no idea what this will entail. Partly because its so far afield from my own childhood experience.
Regardless, I am glad for the adventure. There are very few opportunities to step outside the humdrum cycles of life you find yourself in as an adult. Even challenging ones like this broaden the scope of my life and nourish my spirit.
More to come on this front, I'm sure.