A Quick Update: Graduation, NY, Our Summer Trip and School

Today is Nish's Fellowship graduation, and I can't stress enough how proud I am of him! He's an amazing doctor and, not at all surprisingly, his patients love him. There are few people in the world who are completely passionate about what they do, but my Nish is one of them. Congrats, Dr. K! :)

After graduation, Nish and I are catching a red-eye to New York, and we're so excited! It's been awhile since we've been able to enjoy a weekend in another city together without having a set agenda. We plan on running around, visiting friends and eating everything in sight.  Hopefully the humidity doesn't kill my hair (i.e. Monica Geller Bing in that Friends episode where they go to Barbados). Not a pretty look.

Towards the end of July, we'll be heading off on our trip to Lebanon and Greece. (Turkey got axed because Nish and I realized we needed more than ten days to really get a feel for the country - hopefully next year!) We'll be visiting Beirut, Athens, the islands of Santorini, Milos, and Sifnos, and touring the Peloponnese, where we'll end our trip in Ancient Olympia. I've put together a pretty awesome travel binder, if I may say so myself.

The Cover of Our Amazing Travel Binder

When we get back, we'll be making our move down to Newport Beach, where we're this close to signing a lease at an apartment complex we love. *Crossing our fingers*  In October, I'll be starting a Masters in Clinical Psychology program at Antioch University, which I'm thrilled about.  After about two years of school, I'll start a supervised internship in order to obtain 3,000 hours of clinical work, which will then qualify me to take the Marriage and Family Therapy licensing exam. I'm on my way to becoming a therapist!

So, as you can see, lots of exciting developments. Can't wait for the next couple months.

Busy Busy Busy - Part II

April 8th Weekend: San Diego for Shaily's & Vishal's wedding

April 22nd Weekend: Colleen is in town - wedding dress shopping???

April 24th: Cirque du Soleil w/Mama & Papa

April 29th Weekend: Vegas with the girlies!!!

May 6th Weekend: San Francisco for Priti's b-day :)

Mid-May: Mom's coming to LA to stay with us!

May 27th Weekend: Camping in Santa Cruz with the Kumar-Joshis

June 10th Weekend: Hopefully San Francisco for Priyal's graduation from dental school!

June 24th Weekend: NEW YORK

July 1st Weekend: Neha's & Hirsch's Wedding

Mid-July: We're moving to Newport Beach

July 23rd: Aghi's & Sana's Wedding

July 24th: Off to Greece, Turkey and Lebanon...

Start Spreadin' the News...

It looks like Nishant and I can look forward to another great trip - at the end of June, we're going to New York! We're heading to the Big Apple for one of my work events, but we also plan on celebrating his graduation from Fellowship. Here are just a few of the places I can't wait to eat at:

Russ & Daughters

 This place supposedly has the best bagels & lox in Manhattan!  And it's only a block from where we're staying...

Kati Rolls

At Kati Rolls, you get a spicy mixture of meat and vegetables in warm Indian flatbread! It's great any time of the day, but it's even better when you're drunk or hung over!

53rd & 6th Halal Cart

In one word: amazing! Out of 1,576 reviews on Yelp, the Cart has an average of 4.5 stars. Enough said.

Max Brenner's Chocolate Bar 

A chocolate bar? Easily the best idea ever! With items on the menu like 'Cookieshakes,' 'Chocolate Chai,' and 'The Spectacular Melting Chocolate S'Mores Sundae,' you can't go wrong.

L'Express

Home of the best shoestring fries and Moroccan-spiced lamb burger I've ever eaten!

Lombardi's Pizza

 Dubbed 'America's First Pizzeria,' this place has been serving up the Napoletana staple since 1905!

Not sure how far we'll get after all that eating, but I'd love to hit up some of these places, too!:

Central Park

The American Museum of Natural History

Times Square

Our Big Fat Greek (Turkish and Lebanese) Vacation!

This summer, Nish and I are heading to Lebanon, Turkey and Greece for a bit of an extended vacation. Our friend Morgan has generously offered to take us on a tour of Lebanon - the coast, the countryside, the villages, the ruins, the nightlife, and - most importantly - the food! In Greece, we'll be seeing our friends Troy and Liz, whose baby is being baptized there in the Greek Orthodox Church. We're so excited for Turkey as well. I've always wanted to visit Istanbul, a modern metropolis of cultures, beliefs, and attitudes set against an ancient backdrop that has served as the capital of some of the world's most influential empires: Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman. I'm going to attempt to keep a travel (b)log to document our journey, but I'm not sure how successful I'll be. I can't wait to share our travels with everyone.

Temple of Jupiter in Baalbek, Lebanon 

Whitewashed Buildings in Santorini, Greece

Yeni Cami (New Mosque) in Istanbul, Turkey

I put the pictures above in random order, but just realized that the layout is actually chronological: 

1. A Pagan temple from an era well before monotheism was advocated. 

2. Buildings topped with crosses that represent the Greek Orthodox Church (one of the earliest forms of Christianity).

3. A mosque representing Islam, which came some 590 years after the advent of Christianity. 

Decisions! Decisions!

Over the past few months, Nishant and I have gone back and forth about what we're going to do after he graduates from fellowship and University Housing officially kicks us out at the end of July. He'll be joining a private practice in Newport Beach in addition to working at rehabs in Orange County and continuing his gig at a research clinic in Torrance. I will (hopefully) be starting school in October and working part-time. We weren't sure whether or not we wanted to give up the income and benefits we're getting with my current full-time position, so we considered moving to somewhere in the South Bay (i.e. Hermosa Beach or Manhattan Beach) so I could keep my job. After an eye-opening weekend filled with discussions about our future and a candid conversation with his soon-to-be partner at the practice, we ultimately realized that moving to Newport - though a huge change and slightly precarious situation financially - would finally allow us to embark on the first few years of marriage that we've been so eagerly anticipating.  We'll both be furthering our careers and will be able to spend more time with each other (and less time commuting) - two things we're really looking forward to! Come August, the Kumars will be living in Newport Beach!

          

My Loves

This past weekend, we celebrated Mama's and Papa's 40th anniversary with a special dinner at Benihana.  Afterwards, I got the chance to spend time with three of my favorite people in the world - my hubby and my sisters. We ended up at a small club on Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, and we pretty much spent the entire night with each other - and ONLY each other.

There Is Always Hope

Last night, two Indians, two Palestinians, a Lebnani, and a Syrian broke (naan) bread at a hole-in-the-wall Pakistani restaurant in an unassuming suburb of LA. The main topic of discussion: the revolution in Egypt.

Nishant and I listened quietly as our friends recounted memories of events that had transpired in their homelands. Experiences were shared, opinions were voiced, and perspectives were gained. Some were optimistic while others were doubtful about the future of Egypt, but everyone agreed that history was indeed being made.

Having grown up in a country with basic freedoms, it's easy to take those freedoms for granted and, consequently, that much more difficult to imagine the plight of millions of people around the world who live their lives in glaring contrast to our own. Over the past 18 days, the Egyptian people decided that a life wrought with despair instead of hope, fear in lieu of security, and desperation in place of dignity was not a life worth passing on to future generations. They resolved to take back the power - and they succeeded. 64 years ago, the people of India gained their independence. 235 years ago, the US achieved the same triumph. The fight for freedom rages on in many countries, but the issue has become one of basic human rights, regardless of faith, nationality, or race. Resilience in the face of oppression is something that unites us all.    

Last night, six friends left dinner daring to hope for a new beginning halfway across the world. On Friday, February 11, 2011, the dream came true.

"You gained your liberty; you have gained the right to catch up with the rest of the world. Make the best of it." 
- Mohamed ElBaradei, Egyptian Diplomat, Law Scholar, and Nobel Laureate - 02.02.11