This week marked the beginning of my preparations for my trip to India. On August 1, I will be onboard the first direct flight between New York JFK to Mumbai, formerly Bombay. The trip, sponsored by Air India, celebrates their breakthrough in airline travel. It is a first for the airline and many firsts for myself – my first press trip, my first time in Asia, my first time traveling with unfamiliar people in very unfamiliar territory.

On Monday, I went to Penn Travel Medicine for my vaccinations. While no vaccines are required for entry into India or reentry into the U.S., I figured better safe than sorry. I left with two shots in both arms (a polio booster, a tetanus shot, the hepatitis A vaccine and a typhoid vaccine), a prescription for malaria medicine and a folder full of useful information for my travels. The consultation was incredibly informative, but it sure made it hard to fall asleep on my side that night after getting two vaccinations in the top of each arm!

Today, I am traveling to New York City to go to the Indian Consulate and get my tourist visa – another first for me.  My travels abroad never required me to get a visa, so standing in lines for the designated three hours in the morning (drop off) and the hour in the afternoon (pick up) will be another new experience for me–all these firsts before the plane even lifts off on August 1.

At this point, I’m not sure how long I will be gone. I don’t know where I will be staying. I don’t know what I will be seeing in India. Stay tuned.

 - Kim Krol, Circulation and Public Relations Executive