I lived in India for a year as a child and am fairly convinced that the entire experience had a rather profound effect on me, instilling in me that irrational obsession for vibrant textiles with a global aesthetic. I have not been back there since I was in the third grade, but have long dreamed of the day I'd return. Truly, I thought it would happen before I had children but for one reason or another it never did. Michael and I had lots of other wonderful travel adventures during that time, but India wasn't one of them. For the last 5 years, I haven't ventured away from the kids for much longer than a few days at a time, and have always been within a quick plane ride home... nor would I have wanted to. Luckily, CLOTH & KIND has been instrumental in my life by helping to fill that international travel void. It has allowed me to spend my time dreaming about and posting on the very textiles and far-off locations that I hope to one day visit (again). However, I do believe the time has come to make my deep-rooted love of global travel spring back to life.
All of this is to say that when I saw the news of this journey to Jaipur, India with textile extraordinare Lotta Jansdotter and Angela Ritchie's Ace Camps there was this huge light bulb that went off in my head. I could actually do this! The kids are old enough... I have a wonderful and very capable husband and nanny who would easily be able to manage the kids... (I have intentionally not yet thought to how much I'd miss Alex & Tahlia, and for the sake of this fantasy I won't yet go there)... It's kind of the perfect time in CLOTH & KIND's life cycle as well. The blog has grown into, dare I say, a somewhat well-known & respected design platform and my interior design business is actually more than I could possibly ask for, for which I am beyond grateful. So, yes, the timing is right and stars are aligned.
Now, if only I'm able to a) figure out how in the heck I'm going to pay for this and b) snag one of the coveted 10 spots. I'm already dreaming of the incredibly creative and talented people I'll meet on this trip. Will you be one of them?