You? Your Problems? Your Future?

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One poster advertising a palm reader stuck out among the many highlighting yoga classes, chakra alignment, various other means of healing the damaged bodies and souls of young Western tourists, or “travelers” as we prefer to be referred. Something about this one attracted me, a bright yellow poster reading “You? Your Problems? Your Future?” All beseeching questions.

I set out to locate this clairvoyant being, wandering the dirt roads lined with vendors and shops that felt jungle-like, despite the presence of establishments such as “Dude Tattoo Studio.” The lush mountains rising on all sides and enormous white-haired monkeys taking free range of the town’s main streets quickened my heart.

My inferior sense of direction coupled with my inability to distinguish Hindi street names from one another made finding anything a time-consuming task. Each time that it became apparent that I had turned a wrong corner I bit my cheeks, audibly exhaling and crossing my arms, a display for imaginary observers. After purchasing samosas and peanuts from multiple vendors with the hidden objective of asking for directions I located a larger version of the initial poster, once again asking “You? Your Problems? Your future?” There was no clear indicator of where or if one should enter the yellow vine covered building. I walked around to the back and found a man who appeared as if he…