The first Thanksgiving without families and turkey turned out to be just as amazing spending with friends immersing in Indian cultures and customs. Pooja, Adam’s co-worker, was saying goodbye to her single life and we were very honored to be a part of it.

On Thursday night, we celebrated Gobble Gobble day with a hefty load of KFC. Being the shameful last-minute packers that we are, we only had a three hours sleep before heading to Solapur. Thankfully, the Thoughtworkers team had made all the arrangements for the trip so we only have to drag our zombie bodies down to the front of our complex to meet the bus. We had insider information that it will be there at around 4:15, so we went down at 4:00. Naturally, the happy thing didn’t arrive until 5:00. An hour breathing the fresh morning air wasn’t too bad, if not counting all the blood I lost to the dang mosquitoes.

On the way, we stopped for breakfast at a restaurant that has the most flies I have ever seen. But to be fair, the place was very clean and the food was decent. Maybe the flies just like to sunbathe on the shiny metal tables. Oh well, you have the right to live and enjoy life as any other creatures on this Earth, friend Flies! (Adam has been reading about Taoism and it’s rubbing off on me)

After a five-hour ride, we arrived to a house that Pooja’s family has rented for the guests to rest. From the 2nd floor balcony, I felt strangely peaceful watching a man pushing a fruit cart along the side of the field while the cows munching leisurely on some grass. Below, some of the guys decided for a quick game of cricket in the small paved backyard before getting ready for the ceremony. Adam and I opted to read instead, sweating profusely did not seem to be a fun start for a wedding.