Hello, Kathmandu, home for the next ten weeks. After nearly three weeks of traveling through Europe and the Middle East, which consisted of hopping around different countries and cities almost every few days, it felt much more grounded to have a home base for a longer period of time, to see and explore further, to learn and understand better, and to feel deeper.
Throughout my journey I’ve befriended numerous wonderfully inspiring people and exchanged stories over hikes, melted chocolate bars, a 20-minute bus ride, at a ruins bar where grannies take over the dance floor, or by the ledge that overlooks the grandeur of Ad Deir in Petra; stories of nostalgia, resilience, passion, determination, and love. That human to human connection, is what I truly enjoy the most, and what I hope to capture and be engaged in whilst here in Nepal. From a quick round of catching up with fellow study-abroad students about their summer, it certainly seems like some interesting stories to be unfolded in the weeks to come.
First impression and surprise of Kathmandu: they drive on the left side of the road, and traffic lights are basically non-existent! The streets bustle with cars, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists from all directions. Yet, people seem to have a mutually agreed upon understanding and unspoken rule about when to move forward or withdraw, and maneuver seamlessly.
I often look back and search where I was on my time scale. I had just now realized that last year on September 24th, I was returning to Seattle from my tent-week backpacking trip in Europe; a small chapter of my life journey concluded that day. Now, this time around, I’m staying at a monastery in Kathmandu and listening to the sounds of pouring rain; my heart full of gratitude. The real journey has just begun.
Flying into the Kathmandu Valley
Scavenger hunt in Patan in the flood