incredible India!

India was incredible! On Thanksgiving Day, we had our team day at the Konark Sun Temple and then dipped our feet in the Bay of Bengal before dinner. I took this picture after writing India 2012 three different times, the tide kept erasing my work! 

Loving the water!

The team decided to spell out "Op Smile" on the beach! I love this photo!

I couldn't help myself, but I prayed no Indian would take offense and get mad at me. I was ok, I think it's an old enough temple that not even they know the meaning of this awesome sculpture!

Qutab Minar, an amazing minaret originally began construction in 1199!

Jama Masjid, built in 1650 in Old Delhi, it is the largest and most well known mosque in India. I patiently waited for people to move and caught this man praying.

I love the peace this guy portrays as he's enjoying his friday at the mosque.

Haha, oh this guy was great! My friend Donna tried to take his picture without paying him and he got upset and put the basket back over the snake. But I wanted a picture so I paid him 50 rupees ($1) and got my picture! It was cool to see a snake charmer.

Donna and I took a rickshaw through Old Delhi, what an experience!

The Taj Mahal, or crown of palaces! Beautiful is the one word to describe it! The Taj is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".

I almost had to keep pinching myself that I was at the Taj Mahal!

The white marble is exquisite and the inlaid precious stones were the perfect touch. It just amazes me that even back then (1632), they built such fine buildings.

We saw monkeys at the Taj Mahal! I caught this guy in the sun rays as we were leaving the grounds of the Taj. It was awesome to see them just climbing around everywhere, exactly what I pictured India like.

I was excited to photograph these women carrying huge baskets on their heads. I love their bright colorful clothing. I loved the sites of India!

Smiling with Bhubaneswar, India!

I love and will always treasure my experiences on these missions with Operation Smile. Over Thanksgiving, I had the opportunity to travel to India to Bhubaneswar, where I was able to work alongside medical professionals from 7 different countries (Italy, Russia, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Austrailia, and India). While I missed spending the holiday with my family, I had so much fun making friends worldwide! Overall we performed 118 surgeries (cleft lip and palates) and screened 50+ more for future surgeries. Surgery days were busy, yet I loved every minute sharing my time with the people of India!

Setting up our room to screen the patients, Karen (recovery room RN from Austrailia), Mo (recovery room RN from USA), and our two night nurses from Guwahati, India.

 My favorite little girl, she had the biggest smile!

Getting a treat during screening. We found anything to distract them would help in obtaining a blood pressure!

 I love their bright saris and smiles!This beautiful mother and her daughter are awaiting surgery.

 Our pediatrician Blegina (from Rome, Italy) is assessing a little guy to see if he's fit for surgery.

 Oh so cute!

 I love this family! The patient is on the right and has the cutest little sister!

 We all loved this mother, beautiful woman!

I found myself bonded to this family. She had a fistula repair and wasn't feeling that great the night after surgery. But the next morning, she had colored me a picture and gave it to me. We had her stay an extra day to make sure all was ok, so to pass the time she played "Angry Birds" on a nurses iphone. The morning they left, they shoke my hand multiple times in gratitude.

Mom tapping a spoon against the tile wall to quiet her baby. I love the Hannah Montana towel hanging above their heads!