“I prayed the day I flew halfway around the world to be here, and I’ve prayed every day since. I left my tiny bundle of salt, lavender, and stone in the Ganges, and I found comfort in God’s presence on the flight from Varanasi to Delhi, when my illness grew to its worst and I felt like a needle was being drilled into my eardrum. Despite the level of physical misery on that ninety-minute flight, it wasn’t possible for my prayers to be about anything other than gratitude. Thank You for keeping me safe. This time around in India, everything hits me more acutely, seeping into my pores and getting beneath my skin. But the challenges I face take place within a vast spiritual universe that keeps showing me I am not alone in my desire to be one with my Creator—God.”