I finally got my wish. When we returned to Mumbai we experienced heavy rains and several days of flooding. During the short breaks in rain, we ran errands in Mumbai, finished our shopping and visited Nadia’s extended family.

After a lot of conversation and some soul searching, we decided to return to California to prepare for our next adventure: Russian lessons and volunteering in Kazakhstan.

We spent a little over a month in California studying Russian, packing and hanging out with friends and family. Highlights include time in the ocean kayaking and surfing, spending time with friends and family in San Diego and LA, BBQ on the beach, 75 cent rides at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, nightlife in San Francisco and family reunions.

We are excited for the opportunity. More from Kazakhstan to come soon…

Thursday we traveled to Santa Barbara to help Amanda move to her new spacious apartment and to explore Santa Barbara. Traveling is so rewarding when a local can show you around! Amanda took us to a sushi restaurant with super fresh fish at great happy hour prices. Yum!

We also visited Amanda’s lab and learned more about the day-to-day role of research scientists. Amanda’s company specializes in working with Bromine and is doing some very cool work in creating alternative energy sources. We weren’t allowed to take pictures of ourselves in the lab, but please enjoy this picture of Amanda in her lab coat.

Gaucho is usually used to refer to people living in the grasslands of South America, similar to a cowboy in the U.S. In Santa Barbara, the Gaucho is the mascot of the University of California campus and the students are the driving force behind the social scene and local economy.