In love with India - to return soon

Hello to all of the IMers and my appreciation for the wealth of information about traveling through India. I decided early this year to go on a trip through India in April. I was referred to this website by a friend and it was ever so helpful in planning and I had a very successful trip indeed. I plan to return sometime in November and thought this would be a good time to introduce myself.

My trip lasted 3 weeks and here is a summary of my itinerary:
Kochi
Alleppey/Kottayam
Munnar
Kolkata
Jaipur
Alwar
Pushkar
Agra
Delhi

I traveled with a friend in the south for the first week or so (she had been to India before) and then I flew up north and traveled alone (if you don't count the drivers etc.). As it seems is the consensus among most travelers who visit India, I had a range of emotions from pure joy and contentment to thinking "WTF am I doing here?!?" In the end I had the trip of my lifetime. In the end, I decided that upon my return home I would start to rearrange my life to move there. I use the term "move" loosely, as I really mean take an extended visit there to see more of the aspects and culture that I have become obsessed with. I moved into my parents' house to save money, gave work notice that I would be leaving in November, and have slowly been making arrangements for what I hope to be 8-18??? month trip. I'm not quite sure on the timeframe, as you see. It really just depends on how I get along, how long my money lasts, and what I plan to do there.

Close friends and strangers alike ask what I will be doing there upon hearing my plans. It seems like the most logical question that would surely have a logical response, no? The funny thing is that I don't have one. I'm not going there because I have something to do. I am going back because I NEED to. Or I feel I do anyway. The term "move" also insinuates that I will be staying in one place and becoming a responsible part of society with a job etc. But I plan to relax, get further immersed in the culture, and take things slow just as the weather allows (PS I'm from a cold climate and the heat just turns me into a noodle!). I plan to arrive in a town and stay until I feel like leaving. If I like Jaipur, maybe I will stay longer, no sense to leave early. If I'm not enjoying a specific location, move on.

Although I have spent a few weeks in India, I feel I am probably still naive as far as real life in India. But it's a chance that I'm willing to take, what do I have to lose? I feel like I have a lot more to gain.

I don't really have an itinerary, but here is a list of some places I would like to visit/revisit:
Jaipur
Jaisalmer
Kashmir
Darjeeling
Goa
Maybe Bangalore, Hyderabad
Cool (temp) mountain towns

Am I crazy???

Some more of my specifics:
I plan to apply for a 10 year tourist visa
As an American, it seems the best thing to do is travel India for 6 months, leave for 2 months to a place like Nepal. Any single women have experience traveling in Nepal alone? Have heard Sri Lanka and Thailand wouldn't be the smartest choices, but maybe you can ease my fears.

I have contemplated bringing my dog with me, a small chihuahua, but I think traveling would be too difficult. Getting her there would be alright, I know she would need a pet passport and a USDA certification and there isn't quarantine to/from India/US, but traveling within India would be a pain and would slow me down a lot. And from what I noticed in India (a generalization that could be completely untrue) Indians don't particularly like dogs.

I'm wondering what a good budget for long-term stay would be. Would I be able to find furnished flats for a month at a time upon arrival in a city? I have looked online, but without photos and with the help of some creative writing, I don't trust finding something online (especially after seeing some dingy hotels that had rave reviews and photos online). I want to live relatively comfortable, but not lavishly.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

Hi Leens,

I am sure whatever time you have spend in India you had a good time. Yes offcourse India is such a big country and you will ot be able to viist and explore at one time. You have selected good places to revisit again. I can guide you for jaipur as i am belong to jaipur. As you asked for you accomadation yes it is really difficult to book online without seeing the original condition of the same. I would suggest you if you are going to stay one month then no need to book online, just visit the particular city and then find locally, i am sure you will get the best deal. May be I can help you some of the places as you mentioned you want to visit.

Cheers !!

Thanks for the warm welcome, Akushwaha. Jaipur was in fact my favorite city in India so far. Very vibrant and welcoming city. I appreciate your input. Do you think it would be a problem to find flats that rent for only one month? Is it reasonable (in Jaipur) to find accommodation for 7500-1500 Rs? Do you have any other cities that you recommend?

Monthly rentals would be the challenge, but you can bargain a lot if you plan to let out hotel rooms for long term.

Alternately you can find " Serviced Apartments " from 700 Rs / Day or you can opt for long term booking of hotels, on an average if the rent for a decent budget hotel room is say 700 Rs / Day if you book for 20 days you can ask it to be discounted for say 500/600 Rs / Day which will be about 15,000 / PM

But you will find that these prices are for tier-2 cities only as metro cities are costly.

Alternately you can try Mysore, Coorg as cities that you can consider .

I do not think it is very difficult to find short accommodation in India, as now a day’s service apartment is very popular in all the major city in India.Also you can try for separate PG accommodation which is also comfortable and you will get as per you choice. As per your budget I think you will get easily in Jaipur, but for Pune, Goa & Bangalore you have to pay some extra amount. I can help you for Jaipur, Pune, Goa & may be Bangalore.

Cheers !!

Thanks for the replies, it is very helpful to get a good idea of what to expect. Some days I find myself thinking "WTF am I thinking? This is the silliest plan I have ever had," while other days it seems like the perfectly most logical thing to do. I have a few contacts in India, but I think the most overwhelming fear right now will be the lonliness. Imagine that, expecting to feel lonely in one of the world's most populated countries!

One other question I have regarding a Visa that has had some conflicting advice on IM (or maybe I have just confused myself on the subject) is about returning after a 2 month break. I plan to apply for a 10 year tourist visa and after 6 months traveling to Nepal for 2 months and returning to India. Are they starting to crack down on letting foreigners back in after their break? Has anyone ever had a similar situation? Any single female travelers who can comment on the safety/comfort level of traveling alone in Nepal or other surrounding countries?

Thanks for your input!