Some of the Sights

Deanne took some great pics of Delhi & Jaipur. Enjoy!

A busy Jaipur street

Cattle just a block down from our hotel in Jaipur

The Team in front of The India Gate in Delhi

The Lotus Temple in Delhi

Women along the streets of Delhi

'til next time...

Delhi & Jaipur

We made it to India! We made our way around Delhi this morning after a pretty long flight. We arrived in Jaipur at about 8:30 and were all pretty exhausted.

We were welcomed by a whole host of Rotarians once we had our luggage in hand. Thus far, the hospitality has been second to none. They really pulled out all the stops to make our arrival quite memorable. Pictures will follow once they are gathered...so stay tuned.


G'night,
Aaron! (I promise you will hear from the others on here too. :o) I just wanted to let you all know that we got here safe and sound.)

Monday, December 29, 2008 9:20 AM London

We just had our first international experience on the tube. As soon as we sat down on the train in our matching royal blue jackets, an Australian woman and British man chatted us up. The Australian woman had just spent her Thanksgiving in California and then her Christmas here in the UK (clearly, she is quite well-traveled). We talked about all sorts of world news, including world news itself. Clearly the BBC puts the rest of the world to shame as far as keeping its constituents informed. Our new Australian friend stated that Australia was quite similar to the US in so much as the Australian news services report little news beyond the Australian border. The British man stated that his fellow Brits are quite possibly overinformed as a culture. I found this to be an intriguing insight, since our culture can be pegged as quite the opposite. Just something to think about, I guess.

'til next time...

Aaron!

Sunday, December 28, 2008 2:00 PM CST (8 PM in London)

As I type this, we are flying over the Atlantic Ocean on our way to London. We are currently at 39,000 feet. I must admit that this whole experience is likely to put everything into perspective. At our current height, we are tinier than a speck to any boat floating off the shore of Greenland – ultimately undetectable. I have a feeling we are going to have many of these moments in the next four weeks. I mean, after all, as Nick said in his last post, India's population is nearly unfathomable – just another opportunity to be humbled into that tinier-than-a-speck perspective.

Thus far travel has been rather uneventful (which is a good thing). Our current flight got off the ground a little late, so we will be about 20 minutes late into London, but thankfully, that will not really alter any of our plans. We'll be staying overnight at the airport hotel, and then will get to see the city for the day. By the time I post this online, we will likely have some great London pictures to upload, so they will appear below:

OK. Now to switch gears a bit. Why do airlines show movies that will potentially lead to tears? I just finished watching Henry Poole is Here (quality film...it has a slow pace, but is still really good). This is a pretty sad, yet hope-filled movie and has all of the ingredients to jerk a few tears. I was forced to pretend that I was sleeping on and off, so other passengers would not question my pseudo-weepy eyes. In case you are wondering, I am not the only passenger experiencing this. The woman diagonally in front of me turned back to see whether or not I had noticed that she was fighting back tears while watching The Women. Once she determined that I was not watching (which clearly I was), she removed tears from both eyes. The amazing part is that they have The Women listed as a comedy. In my opinion, movies listed as comedies should not induce such reactions. But I digress...

'til next time,
Aaron!

Twas the Night Before Our Departure....

It's currently 9:29 p.m. the day before we're to leave to embark on a once in a lifetime experience. I still have a couple of loose ends to tie up before my departure and I haven't been able to fully enjoy it yet. I'm excited - don't get me wrong - but I had a list of 67 things to take care of and I still have 2-3 things left. So what do I do instead of taking care of those things? I post a blog.

I think it's only fair that our avid followers, and soon to be visitors, know what someone is thinking and feeling before we leave. This trip is a lot to digest but it I know that I will come back a changed man.

For starters, John will be meeting up with me tomorrow morning at 4:15. We're car pooling down to Champaign and then his wife will be picking us up when we fly home in January. I'm running on fumes as I've only slept for a total of 8 hours the last couple of nights. My body is exhausted and ready for the flight to London tomorrow.

People have been asking me how I feel about the trip. I'm currently experiencing many of the same feelings and emotions that I felt before traveling throughout E. Asia. The sense of excitement, opportunity to experience a different way of life in a country of 1.1 BILLION people (approximately 1/6th of the world's population), nervousness, overwhelmed, scared - yes, I said scared. If you read a newspaper, magazine or watched the news on t.v. a month ago, you'll know why.

I've been talking to people that are native to the country or traveled throughout India. This is going to be a major test for all of us. We may or may not ever again see what we're about to witness these next few weeks. Poverty is like no other in India. It affects everyone from the young to the handicap. I was told by a friend of mine who taught basketball over there for 8 months that if you have a heart, try and avoid looking at the beggars. You'll want to help them all but you can't.

I'm relieved to know that our schedule has already been determined. We will be traveling around the county like cattle. To be honest, I'm okay with that. Driving and taking public transportation, from what we've been told, is only for the brave. Normally I would step up and attempt it, but I'm almost hesitant. Where did the risk taker in me go? Maybe it's because I have more obligations now (job, house, new car, etc.).

We're all taking turns and blogging for one week. We don't know how much time we will have to go on the Internet, so you may hear from us once a week or you may hear from us once the entire trip. Either way, I can guarantee you that any and all classic, memorable pictures will be posted for your viewing pleasure. I always deliver high quality entertainment!

So this is it. The last few days have exceeded my expectations with everyone saying goodbye to me. I've received phone calls, emails and text messages from so many people wishing me safe travels. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I really appreciate it. I know my family and friends are worried about me and they have valid reason. We're all going to look out for one another while we're over there.

It's never goodbye - it's until next time.....

-Nick Stafford

A Visual Aid for All the Visual Learners Out There

OK.
Now that you have memorized the itinerary, here is a map of where all we will be. As we travel, we will update this map, so you can get a better sense of exactly where we are. Feel free to click on the map for a closer view.'til next time...

Travel Itinerary

We decided that it may be a good idea to let you all know some of the wheres and whens, so you will find our travel itinerary below:

Sunday, December 28th at 7:15 AM - Fly from Champaign, IL to Chicago, IL
9:10 AM - Fly from Chicago, IL to London, UK (arrive 10:30 PM)
Monday, December 29th at 8:50 PM - Fly from London, UK to Delhi, India (arrive 10:40 AM)
Tuesday, December 30th at 7:30 PM - Fly from Delhi, India to Jaipur, India

Wednesday, January 7th - Travel to Gwailor through Agra

Saturday, January 10th - Travel to Kota
Wednesday, January 14th - Travel to Jodhpur
Sunday, January 18th - Travel to Mt. Abu
Tuesday, January 20th - Travel to Himmatnagar
Thursday, January 22nd - Travel to Ahmedabad
Sunday, January 25th at 8:30 PM - Fly from Ahmedabad to Delhi
Monday, January 26th at 12:55 AM - Fly from Delhi to Chicago, IL
11:10 AM - Fly from Chicago to Champaign, IL (arrive at Noon)

As you can see, we should have a wonderful chance to get to see some of the wonders India has to offer. Expect updates along the way - including pictures, commentary, and anything we find the time to include.

'til next time...

16 Days and Counting...

Here we are16 days away from boarding a plane to India. TO INDIA! Even typing those words seems surreal. I am not sure if the reality will even sink in for me before I begin the packing process (which will likely be the night before our plane leaves).

This Sunday, the Team meets to enjoy the best Indian food Champaign, IL has to offer. After our meal, we will really focus in on solidifying our packing, presentations, and any loose ends that may exist. Some of the team's family will be there, so it should be a great time to deepen the relationships already being established within the team.

I thought I would end this entry with some things I have learned thus far from the preparation process:

• India is likely to be one of the most beautiful sights my eyes will ever have the chance to take in.
• The Taj Majal's main component is a mausoleum.
• India is 11.5 hours ahead of the Central Time Zone.
  
• There is such a thing as travel underwear...

That's all for now. You all can look forward to many more posts as we prepare for India and continue the countdown.

'til next time,
Aaron!

Team Member Biographies

Woodrow "Woody" Chenault

Woody is a Consulting Civil Engineer recently retired from Foth Infrastructure and Environment, who previously headed up an engineering firm of approximately 75 staff members, headquartered in Champaign, IL. His specialty is structural engineering, particularly bridges, dams, buildings, and their foundations. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1964 with a BS in Civil Engineering, and earned a MS in 1972. He served as an officer in the US Army in Germany from 1964 to 1967, and developed a love for travel at that time.

He was introduced to Rotary as a team member on a 1974 Group Study Exchange (GSE) to Australia, and has been a member of the Champaign West Rotary Club for the past 20 years. He has been active in his club in both community service and international projects. In 2007, he was one of several club members to travel to Azacualpa, Honduras to help begin his Rotary club’s project to build a new cottage to house 8 children and a foster family at a childrens home, and is also participating in the design of a sewage collection and treatment system for a local neighborhood whose systems have failed in Azacualpa. He served on the District GSE Committee for approximately 5 years in the 1990’s.

He is married, and he and his wife Miriam have 3 grown daughters, and 8 grandchildren ranging from 5 months old to 14 years old, which help him to stay young. He is a mentor to boys in Jr. High School, and also volunteers with profoundly developmentally disabled children. He is active in his church, and sings in a community Chorale, with which he toured Ireland in June 2008. He enjoys sailing and gardening in the summer, and skiing in the winter.

John Bierbaum

John works for McLean County Unit District 5 as a high school history teacher at Normal Community West High School. He teaches world history and is the sponsor for the mock trial team, co-Director of the Freshmen Mentoring Program, and is a case manager on the school’s CARES team.

John graduated from Illinois State University and is currently working to complete his Masters degree in History. He is married to Jennifer, and they are expecting their first child this June.
In his spare time, John likes to spend time with his family and friends, read, garden, travel and spend time outdoors. John is very excited about the opportunity to learn about new cultures and be able to bring back his experience to the classroom.

Aaron Copley


Aaron is the Assistant Director of Residence Life at Millikin University in Decatur, IL,. an independent, private university with an enrollment of approximately 2100 students. Aaron is responsible for the housing needs of undergraduates, and the supervision and training of student leaders within the residence halls. His main charge is to prepare the residential students to be successful after college by providing intentional outside the classroom learning opportunities for students.
Aaron received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Wittenberg University and his Master of Arts degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, both in Ohio. While in graduate school, he held a position in residence life at Bluffton University in Bluffton, Ohio, and completed a summer internship in Alnwick, England where he supervised U.S. students studying abroad.

During his free time, Aaron enjoys singing with his community choir, visiting friends all across the country, and serving as a mentor to youth in the community. He also enjoys watching certain television programs and running through Decatur’s beautiful parks.

Deanne Holste


Deanne lives on a farm which has been in her family for over 100 years. She was born and raised on this homestead with one older brother, one younger brother and one younger sister. At the present time the farm is home to her daughter Danielle, age 16 and her son Johann age 9, four horses, three dogs and two cats.

Deanne is employed by the University of Illinois Extension with the title of 4-H Youth and Family, community worker. She oversees thirty 4-H clubs which include over 500 youth and 150 adult volunteers. 4-H is a large part of her life as she not only works for Extension, but also volunteers as a club leader in her community.

During the fall and winter seasons, Deanne referees collegiate, high school and junior high volleyball and coaches high school girls basketball. During the spring and summer, she enjoys being outside, riding horses, and swimming in the pool.

Nick Stafford

Nick is a Plan Enrollment Specialist for Alliance Benefit Group of IL, a full service retirement plan consulting and administration firm. He is in charge of employee education, including benefit options, for clients that offer their employees a retirement plan.
He graduated from Augustana College, a liberal arts school with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration – Marketing. While in college Nick was heavily involved in multiple clubs and organizations.

His jobs have taken him all over the world, including Walt Disney World as a character, at a dude ranch in Colorado, and as an English teacher in Incheon, South Korea. His last semester of college was spent traveling around E. Asia for 11 weeks with 80 of his classmates while they took classes in each of the 24 cities they visited. In his free time, Nick enjoys traveling, planning events, riding his motorcycle, reading and working on his new house.