Hey everyone! It has been quite some time since I last posted on the blog, but there are not many internet cafes where I am now in Kathmandu to be able to update it on a regular basis. All I have to say so far is that I absolutely love Nepal! Everyone is very welcoming and it really cannot be compared to the United States. Kathmandu is a crazy place to be living for right now because there is so much traffic, a ton of people, and so much smog and pollution that sometimes it is difficult to breathe. The hostel I am staying at is right in the center of Kathmandu down a little side street and it is really cool place to stay. I have met some really great people from all over the world in just the past three days. I've met people from the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, and Australia, among others. We travel around Kathmandu and the surrounding areas together and stick up for each other when beggars and sales people start haggling us for our money, thinking we are rich just because we aren't Nepali. I have already been welcomed to dinner at the field coordinator's home from RCDP (Nepal's Rural Community Development Program) and it was like being welcomed right in to a Nepali family's home. We ate dhaal bhaat for dinner, which is the national dish of Nepal. We sat on the floor and ate with our hands, which was really cool. It seems odd but once you get used to it you love not using silverware anymore!
Some of the people I have met at the hostel have already left either for home, to their projects in other areas of Nepal, or to continue traveling around Asia. I met a couple from Australia that have been traveling through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia for the past 3 months and so now they are here in Nepal for one month and will then continue on to India and then Europe. So inspiring! I also met a guy named Ramon, from Germany, who said his experience in Pokhara absolutely changed his life and his philosophy. Those of us who are staying in the hostel can really bond quickly and deeply to each other in no time because it seems we have all flocked to Nepal for the same reason- to find ourselves, our inner souls and life purposes, and explore part of the world that many people have not visited. We've had many deep conversations about how we see ourselves and the progress we are making in changing our own philosophies and perspectives on life. It is easy to talk about it because it is something we all deeply care about. There's a deeper meaning to life and the universe, but sometimes it is overwhelming to think about things that broadly. With these individuals, though, we are all on the same level and can talk about these kinds of things and understand where each other is coming from.
I am really happy that I had the guts to travel to Nepal solo. It takes bravery and courage to do this, let me tell you. It wasn't easy up and leaving everything I had ever known and all the commodities that make life easier. And coming alone has added a lot of stress to the mix. But now that I'm here, I'm learning how things work in this culture and it really isn't all that difficult to do things on my own.
My anxiety and depression? Completely gone. I knew what was causing both of them when I was home and it was a feeling of deep restlessness that plagued me each and every day. I felt I had more to do with myself but nothing that involved a real job. I needed to get away and explore the world around me that I have been so sheltered from for all the time I have been living in Maine. I felt like I was stuck, and for no reason. So I decided to do something about it and travel to the place I have always wanted to come to. I deserve to come here, I think, because I really needed it for my mental health and it is also a great way to grow and learn as a young individual who has never really traveled on her own. Though sometimes it is uncomfortable learning new things here, it is the type of learning I love. Not reading through textbooks and textbooks of facts that I'll spit out verbatim on an exam just to get an A and have a good GPA. I want more in my life than that, at least for now. I learn more from hands-on experience than anything else and coming to Nepal has really proven to me that I am right about that. I know what I need to keep my mind healthy and fresh and being home wasn't cutting it for me.
My curiosity for life makes me feel like I am 5 years old again. I am able to create my own experience here; I am in control of how I spend my time. Putting myself in a scary situation such as this was a wake-up call at first but now it is becoming easier and I can see that being alone and handling the obstacles by myself, or with strangers who have become good friends, is allowing me to grow as a person. I no longer am wishing to always be somewhere else, like I did at home. I wake up excited to see what else I can learn about the Nepalese culture and way of life.
I am where I am supposed to be. I was called here and now I know why.
I'll keep you posted as I explore more of Nepal. For now, namaste.
Namaste :)
Monday, September 23, 2013
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Letting Go of Ideals
Hey again! It's been less than 24 hours since my last post and I'm on here again, but I love it! Making a blog is super awesome and inspiring to not only others, but myself. I've been searching the internet for traveling tips and WWOOFing packing lists, and during this process I've come to realize this-
Even though I can see right through it, walking away from the ideals created by our normal ways of life is tough.
I've not only had to defend my choice to take the semester off to people who are curious about my life decisions but also to myself, more than anything. I have second-guessed this choice so many times but I feel that I am being called to another place in this world, another lifestyle. I went through a pretty tough time at the end of this past semester and during the beginning of the summer as I struggled with anxiety and depression. At times it was really debilitating and I couldn't even leave the house. I lost my place in life and, ever since then, I have been following my gut and chasing my passions, which has led me to where I am now. I felt that working 50 hours a week was not something I could handle at the time and man, has that realization changed my life. I have opened myself up to another lifestyle, one that is more relaxed and free-flowing.
I now have more time to enjoy the environment and take in society without being tied down by consumerism, corporations, and other distractions. I have been following my own path and am slowly beginning to live my life and follow my instincts rather than getting as sucked into everyday routines and 9-5 jobs as I used to. I have been designing and selling my handmade jewelry at local farmer's markets and First Friday events and, in the meantime, have met some pretty rocking artsy folks in Portland. I went from having no income whatsoever to making the same amount of money I made when I worked 40 hours a week.
I never saw this coming, that's for sure. I didn't think I could be so successful! It only took a ton of courage on my part and some confidence in myself. I put all of my energy into this business and it has given me so much in return, for which I am very grateful. Realizing that I am capable of so much in my life, I am off to Nepal to continue my journey of self-discovery and I hope that when I come back, I will be transformed.
I will be taking everything I have learned about myself to Nepal, along with confidence, hope, and a HUGE grin. My life is revolutionizing; I can feel it. I'm excited to see where it will take me.
I'll leave you with this favorite quote of mine ~
Even though I can see right through it, walking away from the ideals created by our normal ways of life is tough.
I've not only had to defend my choice to take the semester off to people who are curious about my life decisions but also to myself, more than anything. I have second-guessed this choice so many times but I feel that I am being called to another place in this world, another lifestyle. I went through a pretty tough time at the end of this past semester and during the beginning of the summer as I struggled with anxiety and depression. At times it was really debilitating and I couldn't even leave the house. I lost my place in life and, ever since then, I have been following my gut and chasing my passions, which has led me to where I am now. I felt that working 50 hours a week was not something I could handle at the time and man, has that realization changed my life. I have opened myself up to another lifestyle, one that is more relaxed and free-flowing.
I now have more time to enjoy the environment and take in society without being tied down by consumerism, corporations, and other distractions. I have been following my own path and am slowly beginning to live my life and follow my instincts rather than getting as sucked into everyday routines and 9-5 jobs as I used to. I have been designing and selling my handmade jewelry at local farmer's markets and First Friday events and, in the meantime, have met some pretty rocking artsy folks in Portland. I went from having no income whatsoever to making the same amount of money I made when I worked 40 hours a week.
I never saw this coming, that's for sure. I didn't think I could be so successful! It only took a ton of courage on my part and some confidence in myself. I put all of my energy into this business and it has given me so much in return, for which I am very grateful. Realizing that I am capable of so much in my life, I am off to Nepal to continue my journey of self-discovery and I hope that when I come back, I will be transformed.
I will be taking everything I have learned about myself to Nepal, along with confidence, hope, and a HUGE grin. My life is revolutionizing; I can feel it. I'm excited to see where it will take me.
I'll leave you with this favorite quote of mine ~
Saturday, August 17, 2013
In the Planning Stages
So I've been in the planning stages for this trip for what seem like months now, but I am finally starting to realize what I want to do in Nepal and where I would love to travel. I have attended the University of Vermont for the past two years, studying everything from neuroscience to psychology, environmental studies, nutrition, and food systems. After having struggled to find a major that really suited me I have decided to take a semester off from college and explore the world and places that I have only dreamed of. Though my time at UVM has really impacted the individual I have become, I think there are bigger and better things out there that I am missing while in a classroom, busy memorizing facts that are irrelevant to what I am actually interested in. Though my time at school is over for now, there is no guarantee that I will end up degree-less forever. Once I find what I would love to dedicate my life to and share with others, I will return to school (whether it is UVM or another university) to complete my degree and go on accomplishing what I have set out to do!
So! Back to my plans for Nepal this upcoming semester...
If you haven't heard of the WWOOF program (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), it is a great way to meet native people in the country you are traveling to and truly live the life of, in my case, a Nepalese organic farmer and his/her family. My housing is free, as well as my meals, in return for me working 6 out of 7 days a week on the farm. This is a super great way for me to save some serious money (money that I don't have much of as a junior at the University of Vermont). Totally worth it, in my opinion. So, I plan to WWOOF at a Prembasti Yoga and Organic farm in Chitwan, Nepal for the first month of being abroad. I'm hoping that experience will allow me to get acclimated to the local culture and allow me to explore a more rural side of Nepal before traveling on to greater adventures for the remainder of my trip.
Once my month at the farm comes to an end, I will somehow travel to Pokhara, Nepal for my second leg of the trip. I am planning on doing a few days of sight-seeing and also doing either a 5-day or an 11-day trek to the Annapurna Base Camp, which sits at about 13,000 feet!! I've never been at that elevation, let alone maybe 5,000 feet? So we'll see if this expedition makes it into my journal. After the trek, I will be volunteering in a local orphanage in Pokhara through the Rural Community Development Program. It is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious volunteer organization that benefits orphans and less-fortunate children. The program originated in Boulder, Colorado in 1998 and proceeded to open its first operation in Kathmandu, Nepal. I'm very excited to really become involved in the local community and make my mark in this country I have always longed to visit.
After a month or so at the orphanage, I will do some more sight-seeing in Pokhara to take it all in. A sunrise hike to Sarangkot, a boat ride out to the Barahi Temple on an island in Lake Phewa, and paragliding from the top of Sarangkot to the banks of Lake Phewa are a few things I've tacked onto my bucket list. Paragliding really depends on my courage to just "let go," so I'll keep my hopes up! I've also found an awesome yoga and acupuncture center that I might check out while I search for peace and self-healing. Then, I'll bus it back to Kathmandu for a final week to two weeks of soul-searching and sight-seeing in the largest city in Nepal. I'm thinking of taking a meditation class and learning from the real pros but I haven't fully decided if that is what I want to do. I'll see when I get there!
That's all for now! I still have yet to book my flights and get my vaccinations, with roughly a month left until I leave, but I won't worry about that until I have to :)
Peace. Until next time...
So! Back to my plans for Nepal this upcoming semester...
If you haven't heard of the WWOOF program (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), it is a great way to meet native people in the country you are traveling to and truly live the life of, in my case, a Nepalese organic farmer and his/her family. My housing is free, as well as my meals, in return for me working 6 out of 7 days a week on the farm. This is a super great way for me to save some serious money (money that I don't have much of as a junior at the University of Vermont). Totally worth it, in my opinion. So, I plan to WWOOF at a Prembasti Yoga and Organic farm in Chitwan, Nepal for the first month of being abroad. I'm hoping that experience will allow me to get acclimated to the local culture and allow me to explore a more rural side of Nepal before traveling on to greater adventures for the remainder of my trip.
Once my month at the farm comes to an end, I will somehow travel to Pokhara, Nepal for my second leg of the trip. I am planning on doing a few days of sight-seeing and also doing either a 5-day or an 11-day trek to the Annapurna Base Camp, which sits at about 13,000 feet!! I've never been at that elevation, let alone maybe 5,000 feet? So we'll see if this expedition makes it into my journal. After the trek, I will be volunteering in a local orphanage in Pokhara through the Rural Community Development Program. It is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious volunteer organization that benefits orphans and less-fortunate children. The program originated in Boulder, Colorado in 1998 and proceeded to open its first operation in Kathmandu, Nepal. I'm very excited to really become involved in the local community and make my mark in this country I have always longed to visit.
After a month or so at the orphanage, I will do some more sight-seeing in Pokhara to take it all in. A sunrise hike to Sarangkot, a boat ride out to the Barahi Temple on an island in Lake Phewa, and paragliding from the top of Sarangkot to the banks of Lake Phewa are a few things I've tacked onto my bucket list. Paragliding really depends on my courage to just "let go," so I'll keep my hopes up! I've also found an awesome yoga and acupuncture center that I might check out while I search for peace and self-healing. Then, I'll bus it back to Kathmandu for a final week to two weeks of soul-searching and sight-seeing in the largest city in Nepal. I'm thinking of taking a meditation class and learning from the real pros but I haven't fully decided if that is what I want to do. I'll see when I get there!
That's all for now! I still have yet to book my flights and get my vaccinations, with roughly a month left until I leave, but I won't worry about that until I have to :)
Peace. Until next time...
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