Delhi with Dad

Fellow travelers are always telling me how nervous their parents are. "I have to call my dad twice a day," they'll say. "My mom hasn't slept well since I left."

I smile and nod, but I have the opposite "problem." Far from worrying about my adventures, my parents are always trying to stow away on them. These are the people who rafted the Grand Canyon when one was pregnant and the other a few days out of appendicitis surgery (I'll let you figure out who was who), so I've still got lots to live up to when it comes to adventures.

No stowing away was necessary on this trip, though--I'm beyond excited to spend the next month with my dad in India! We arrived in two days ago and neither of us has breathed a dust-free breath since. Since Dad is recovering from pneumonia, that's a bigger deal than normal, but he's managed fine so far (hey, it can't be much worse than post-surgery rafting).

The hotel staff were all relieved when he showed up because he's so much nicer than me. My first act upon arrival? Argue with the hotel manager about prices. Dad's? Smile and befriend the receptionist. They all love him.

Despite all the warnings I've heard about touts in India, kindness has been the defining quality I've seen here so far. Sure, it's loud and crowded and people are trying to make a buck, but a random guy talked to us for an hour over breakfast and didn't try sell us anything. And rather than getting impatient with our cluelessness, the train ticket agent smiled, offered advice, and told us about his kids.

While I'm not about to let down my guard or quit haggling, I'm looking forward to making some new friends along the way. Or rather, to Dad making new friends while I'm busy being paranoid about scams. I'm SO glad to have him along for the adventure!