Taking Count at Day 30

Today marks the half-way point in my Indian adventure. It's been 30 days since I left the United States, and 30 days until my return.

It dawned on me a couple nights ago that there are major differences in the way I have lived for the last month compared to my normal life back home.

The thought that triggered this feeling was the fact that I have literally not seen a tv in 30 days. Yes, I have seen moving images on a screen- the movies I watched on the airplane and the movies on laptops here, and the occasional YouTube or CNN video if I can get it to download. But, I have not seen a television show. I have not lounged around on a couch, flipping a remote to an assortment of channels, or watching one of my favorite television programs. This is perhaps the longest I've gone without tv since I was maybe 3 years old. While TV in general, and the shows I am missing this summer (the Bachelorette, Top Chef, Mad Men, Bravo's Real Housewives series), are not always at the forefront of my mind, I feel kinda disturbed that I haven't participated in something that is part of my daily routine at home for a month now.

Here are some other things I haven't done in 30 days:
-driven a car
-turned on a stove
-used a microwave
-run a dishwasher or laundry machine
-cooked, baked, or prepared any sort of food for myself
-taken a shower that did not involve a bucket
-used a toilet that I could dispose my toilet paper into
-had an alcoholic beverage
-hugged or kissed Ben

My supplies show the signs of my trip's duration. I have now used exactly half of my toilet paper supply (3 of the 6 rolls I brought with me). This means I will definitely have enough for the trip, especially since I used one entire roll as tissues, and not for actual toilet purposes. In total I have also used 3 of my 6 tissue packets. I've used up the entire initial tub of 42 wet wipes, but I have only just started to use the 84-count refill pack. I have gone through one entire bottle of hand sanitizer, but have two more with me.

I have not used nearly the amount of sunscreen I thought I would. I do put it on in the afternoons on the very sunny days, and whenever we go out to town, but since the rains have started it is mostly overcast, and we are indoors all day. I think I brought four or five tubes along, and have only used a small portion of one. Likewise, I have only used about half of one of my four bottles of DEET insect repellent.

I know I could write more profoundly about how I have changed or grown or learned from this experience, but I just wanted to write about the more simple, less-introspective differences I have observed in the time that has gone by. Also, I'm not entirely convinced I have changed that much. Yes, I have seen things that I would never have seen if I did not come to India. Yes, I have met people and made new friends and have shared the joy of doing global health work/research with them. Yes, I have lived in a situation that I initially found very uncomfortable and have since adapted. Yet, I know as soon as I return to Chapel Hill I will be turning on the tv and watching my reality television and taking for granted all the luxuries in my life.

I will have to assess again how I feel after the next 30 Days.