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…

We arrived to Mumbai on June 14 and were welcomed by Nadia’s uncle Ashraf at the airport. We were a little nervous about visiting India during monsoon season, but the rains stopped a few hours before we arrived and didn’t return until the end of our three-week stay in India.

We spent a few weeks in Mumbai with Nadia’s grandparents – enjoying their very kind hospitality and delicious homemade Indian cuisine. Each day we ventured out to a new part of this bustling and VERY crowded city, usually with Ashraf and/or Nadia’s grandmother.

In addition to meeting Nadia’s family and the wonderful food, highlights included bargain shopping for clothes and souvenirs and a day trip to Elephanta Island in Mumbai Harbor. The island is home to a half dozen ancient Hindu caves, which house one of the country’s most spectacular stone carvings of the god Shiva. The island is also home to very tame (and slightly aggressive when food is around) monkeys.

It was so much fun learning about the history of Nadia’s family in Mumbai! We even got to visit Breach Candy Hospital where Nadia was born and the beautiful ballroom in the Taj Hotel where Nadia’s parents were married.