1 Week Left in Pune

Well, the packers came and went. 179 boxes and one Royal Enfield motorcycle weighing, in total, approximately 11,000 pounds. It’s a surreal experience to watch everything you own get boxed up and walked out the door knowing that you won’t see it for 45 days, during which time it will have traveled in a giant steel container by land and over an entire ocean, hopefully even arriving in the same condition that it was packed. I remember moving here, when we received our shipment it was like Christmas morning…I’m sure it will have the same wonder because I shopped in a frenzy and I DEFINITELY won’t remember what I bought by the time it gets there!

​It’s funny, over the past three years I went from really missing my favorite products from the US, to finding new compromises, which in turn became my new favorites. I bought everything I knew I wouldn’t want to be without, including:
 
-- stainless steel kitchen ware – servingware, two milk pails, strainers, tea cups, a chapatti holder, etc…
-- Odomos mosquito cream (much better-smelling than Off!)
-- Patanjali body products
-- Patanjali Ghee (6 liters of it!)
-- Vim Dish Soap
-- Packets of non-perishable food items: poha, dosa mix, dhokla mix, sauce packets, masala oats, spices
-- Kissan Mixed Fruit Jam (the obnoxious bright pink kind)
-- Green Tokri Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil and Basil Pesto
-- Mother’s Recipe Pickle in several flavors
-- Cleaning Supplies (steel wool, sponges, sponge wipes)
-- Gala Sweepers
-- Meswak Toothpaste
-- OTC meds (naproxen, paracetamol, multivitamins, etc...)
-- Anokhi table linens
-- Ariel Laundry Detergent
-- New towels from Fabindia

We’ll be taking Stella back to the US with us as pet in-cabin, same as last time. We have a soft-sided carrier for her, and used Furry Flyers as a liaison to get the “No Objection Certificate (NOC)” in Navi Mumbai. This is sometimes referred to as the “Export Certificate, FYI in case you’re reading this as a pet owner in the same situation. They were good to work with last time and though it’s an expensive service, Rs. 13,800 just for the NOC assistance, we would rather have peace of mind than chance it.  Though they take some of the legwork out, it still involves several steps on my end. I need to take her to the vet for a health certificate (template is provided by Furry Flyers) and then go to Navi Mumbai for the NOC the next day. Overall it’s a day and a half sunk into getting her ready to go. 

​Other than packing and getting Stella sorted, I’ve been busying myself mostly with researching about Houston. Neighborhoods, jobs, doctors, grocery stores, etc…it’s fun but also a little nerve-wracking, and in the back of my mind I worry that adjusting back is going to be hard. I just don’t know how hard yet and only time will tell.

​We leave in a little over a week, and I’m trying to enjoy the rest of my time here in Pune. I have farewell dinners and coffees and lunches to look forward to, and will hopefully get in a little relaxation as well.