April 10, 2005

1. Coming Home
2. Spring Travels
3. You MUST Visit India
4. Great Coffee – We’re moving to Colombia
5. Detailed Itinerary while in the U.S.

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1. COMING HOME
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As I write this email Courtney and I are sitting in St. Louis, Missouri where the grass is green, no cows roam the streets and family is nearby – we love India, but nothing beats coming home. We spent last weekend in Hong Kong and this weekend we head to DC, followed by Delaware, Miami, Florence and then back to New Delhi in the next three weeks. Our detailed itinerary is below, so I hope that I will be able to see all of you while we are back in the States. While traveling, you can reach us at 202-669-4497 or via email. Although it has been an adventurous few months, the most exciting news I have is that this week I became an uncle!! Congrats to Michael and Anne, I’m coming to Miami soon to see my nephew Nicholas….

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2. SPRING TRAVELS
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November to March is the best time to travel in India, so we are ending a busy season of traveling soon to be followed by a long hot summer of 120 degree Delhi weather. Easter weekend was spent at an elephant festival in Jaipur where we saw an elephant polo match, and at a tiger reserve in Rathambore where we did not see any tigers, but were surrounded by over a dozen wild monkeys (no exaggeration). The next week I went on a trip for work which took me to Calcutta (where Born into Brothels was filmed) and Bihar (the poorest state in India) to see some of the nonprofit organizations that the US Government is supporting to fight human trafficking. I got arrested on the boarder of Nepal, interviewed kids who had been rescued from a carpet factory, and met women and children who were working in a stone crushing plant. It was an emotional week. We’ve had lots of visitors in the past couple months with Courtney’s cousin, his girlfriend, Courtney Aunt, Uncle, my friends Katherine, Noah, and others all visiting. It has been a busy, fun few months!

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3. YOU MUST VISIT INDIA
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Here is the deal. We are in India until early March 2006. We have two guest rooms in a comfortable apartment in the heart of Delhi. We are a few hours from the Taj Mahal and we’ve become quite the tour guides and travel agents. There are a lot of places in the world that you can go on a $1,100 plane ticket, but few places more exotic with such willing host as the two of us. If you want to come, we have a 10-page “Come to India!” document that we can send you and can find a time that is good for all of us. If you want to come, now is the time to plan the trip since our guest room is filling up and tickets can be a little pricey.

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4. GREAT COFFEE – WE’RE MOVING TO COLOMBIA
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Again, thanks for everyone’s help during our bid process. We just found out that in the summer of 2006 that Courtney and I will be headed to Bogota, Colombia! Believe it or not, this was our first choice (as was India 2 years ago). In March, April, & May of 2006 we will be back in Washington, DC for training (and to get married!) and then in June 2006 we leave for a two-year assignment in Colombia. We chose Colombia for a wide variety of reasons (including language, timing, region of world, and position) but also because that it is a large embassy, like New Delhi, which means there will be more job opportunities for myself (possibly still doing counter-human trafficking) and lots of other young fun Junior Officers. If you know people in Colombia, who are not involved in the drug trade or organized crime, then please let us know!

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5. DETAILED ITINERARY WHILE WE ARE IN THE U.S.
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We really want to see you while we are in the U.S., so here is our schedule. Please email / call and hopefully we can get together during our short trip home!

-Today, Thursday, April 14: In St. Louis with Courtney’s family.
-Friday, April 15: Leave for Washington, DC.
--Friday to Sunday morning we are busy doing wedding planning and wedding attending.
-Sunday, April 17: Still in DC.
--Would love to see friends in DC on Sunday, especially at night, possible dinner in Dupont or Logan Circle – let us know if you are around.
-Monday, April 18: In DC wedding planning, headed through Baltimore to DE at night.
-Tuesday & Wednesday (19&20) in Delaware with family and coming by the U of D.
-Thursday, April 21. Possibly back in DC during the day for wedding planning.
-Friday to Sunday night, April 22-24: I’m back in Delaware and Courtney is off to Rhode Island. Looking forward to Main Street Newark, Delaware on Saturday night.
-Monday to Thursday (25-28): In Miami, Florida with my nephew!
--Thursday night flying to Florence, Italy for the weekend and then home to Delhi.

Sorry for the long email! I hope all is well in your life and that we can see you soon.

p.s. Congrats to Mike and Mia, I am excited for you wedding! We cannot wait to see you too.