To be Grateful

So I came back from India recently (and by recently I mean almost like 8 months ago), and the one question that I always seem to get asked is…

“Didn’t it make you appreciate what you had, like hot water and indoor plumbing?”

Normally I reply, “Yes, of course it did.  I am so lucky to live in such a developed country with modern conveniences.” 

I usually say this because I usually don’t want to get into an hour long discussion on why India didn’t make me grateful for all of those things.  

What? (you may be thinking) You’re NOT grateful for all of those things? You go to a 3rd world country and DON’T come back filled with thoughts on how lucky you are to live in America?

My short response is that is accurate.  I went to a 3rd world country and came back not longing for hot water.  I came back not wishing for indoor plumbing.  I came back not being grateful that I could simply brush my teeth with water from the faucet.  I came back not caring that my life is considered easy (I don’t have to farm for my food).  

I came back wishing that I would wake up in the middle of the Himalayas with my family and eat a meal out of lentils that we grew in our backyard. I came back wishing that I could sit on top of the roof and see all of God’s creation.  I came back wishing that I could pee outside always if it would mean that I wake up to this every day.  I came back wishing that I could bring the simplicity of the Himalayan lifestyle that I was able to experience back to my everyday life.  

Maybe that makes me a terrible person, but I would like to think otherwise.