I heard India was spiritual, so I went to the travel agent. The travel lady puffed on her cigarette, said, "OK, kid, where, exactly, in India?"

"I can't pinpoint exactly, I've never been there."

"Kid, maybe you should start with a smaller country, like Bermuda."

Finally she drew a map of India, pointed out the major cities: Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta. Her ash fell on Calcutta, a good sign.

The air conditioning hummed. It was a hot day, but it was freezing in here.

She took a red marker and circled Calcutta. She wrote the ticket, said, "Kid, you want to take some medication first?"

"Can I keep the map?"

"Sure kid, take the map. Take sun block, wear a hat."  

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Adam Jeffries Schwartz is a writer and a traveler. Upcoming publications include work in Descant Magazine and the anthology Walking Higher. Adam's book reviews appear monthly in the newsletter of Little Sister's Bookstore. He's traveling in Latin America this year.  

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