Philly with Shruthi.. Home sweet home

There is a saying in Hindi.... भगवान की इच्छा के आगे मनुष्य दुर्बल है

After a month long vacation with Shruthi in May 2018, I did not have any plans to visit Philly for the next couple of months. And then Sanchit Ram announced his plans to move to his new home in Cincinnati. Shruthi immediately and spontaneously volunteered to travel over the weekend to help him set it up. Fate intervened to create circumstances to prompt my travel in early July 2018 again to USA. Initially I was a bit hassled at the thought of another 14 hour travel within a span of one month and this constant itinerant gypsy streak that was developing in me. Yet the thought of meeting Shruthi and Sanchitram at the end of the trip was enough to act as motivation for the journey.
I reached NY and Sanchit Ram enjoying his brief break prior to starting full fledged work was there to receive me. Both of us traveled to Philadelphia using the subways and Amtrak. Shruthi's home is a haven to our family. Her warmth and cheerful nature can perk up the most despondent of people. She makes a point of keeping a clean and tasteful home which is very welcoming. I slept for two days at Philly getting over my jet lag. 

On the 6th of July the three of us boarded the flight to Cincinnati to get on with the exciting project of home setting.By this time, the children had infused enough enthusiasm that I was actually looking forward to the work. 

The flight by itself was quite a unique experience. It was the first time I had a service dog sitting in the seat front of me. It was a black labrador and the cutest dog I had seen . He sat patiently with his master. Occasionally he would gaze outside the window. There was not a whimper from him through the flight journey even when he was belted to the seat. Our observation of the dog sitting with loving eyes revealed a personality trait that spoke of unconditional love, loyalty and resilience. 

Reaching Cincinnati we picked up the car rented for a month at the airport and proceeded to collect the keys to the new apartment. Letting ourselves in we were awestruck by the size and the modern look of the Loft apartment. Oversized windows greeted us as we entered the apartment. The huge living space was bright with the morning sun shine. The ceiling was high with exposed piping and vent tubes . The walls were a subtle shade of blue gray. Kitchen was minimalistic and modern. The task of furnishing the home with a budget constraint would be challenging and interesting. 

After a heavy lunch at my sisters home, we proceeded to Walmart. Within few minutes we filled our cart with all the necessary items to set up a new home. Shruthi in her efficient way had a list of ' must needs' , essentials, "wish lists". Pillows, mattresses, shower curtains, caddy, kitchen utensils, cleaning products..we had it all covered.

We had hired an U Haul to transport the heavy luggage to the new home on the 7th. However the excitement of the new purchases compelled us to return to Sanchitram's apartment in the evening and fix the fittings. Caught by the enthusiasm of the home shift my parents also decided to join us for the evening trip. We returned home tired but happy ready for the next day.

7th July 2018, Shruthi and Sanchitram set out in the morning hours to pick up the U haul. It was with a sense of awe I watched her as she pulled into the driveway of the home. For a girl who rarely drove the car she was at ease handling the huge vehicle. We moved the luggage from my sisters house to the Uhaul. Arming ourselves with my fathers tool kit, we set out for the day.

Our first stop for the day was IKEA to buy the hard furniture for the new home.Deciding to keep the home minimilistic we had narrowed it down to a sofa, bookcase and storage unit in mono chromatic colors. Skimming through the prices and range took us an hour and more. Picking up the heavy furniture, we checked out of IKEA. Loading the furniture into the U haul we made our way to downtown. 

Unloading all the items took a while and very soon we had a living room full of furniture to be assembled and put into place. Each of us decided to work on a furniture a piece. Not to be left out my niece, who is 6 years fixed the legs of the table and my father who is 80 worked on the settee. The IKEA DIY seems quite simple but when actually laid out in 2D drawing and 3D reality, appears complex !

It took us most of the day to finish assembling the furniture. As with the tradition we had a small ceremony of ' boiling milk' in the new house. My mother did the honors. It was heart warming to have my aged parents taking a keen interest in the affairs of their grand children. My mother and father might have aged in years. Their zest for life and keen eye for details can keep us all inspired.

We had a tiring but rewarding day at Cincinnati. Sanchitram's house had the essentials for new start.There is never a dull moment when Shruthi is around. Shruthi the astute and caring elder sister ensured he was provided with all that was required to begin life in his new apartment. The scepticism with which I stared the trip and the fulfillment I experienced at the end of it reminded me to believe in flowing with the universal current.  Looking forward to my next visit with Shruthi.