Namaste from Nepal!

After a chilly 10 days in Tibet, I was ready to meet it's neighbor, Nepal, which I've heard so many wonderful things about. I will be living here for the next 24 days, volunteering at a local hospital.

As we crept closer to the border, we quickly dropped several thousand feet as we switchbacked through the mountains. We reached the border and stepped into a much different environment. In fact, it was like a whole new world. You could feel it in the air.

I was picked up by my Nepali driver and driven 5 hours to Kathmandu. We drove on dirt roads through the countryside with the windows down, enjoying the smells of fresh vegetation and the sight of lush green landscape. We passed mountains gushing with waterfalls, falling carelessly into rivers below, creating picture perfect views. I felt a strong sense of déjà vu as we made our way through the small towns. Nepal shares a striking resemblance to India. And I loved it.

First, I need to explain this to you:
India was such a special experience for me. I grew a deep love for the country after spending nearly 3 months there. I think I was Indian in a past life :)

India~ you will either love it or hate it. It has a huge shock factor. YES, at times it was very frustrating and I felt like I hated it, but I think it's like childbirth, you forget about the pain you went through and love what came about from it. At times it will drive you crazy, then just when you think you can't take much more, it will open it's arms to give you a big hug, as if to say, "ok, you passed the test, you deserve this."

Traveling through India solo is an inexplicable emotional and spiritual experience. You will see things that blow your mind, and perhaps scar you for life. Which is why I always say you can't go to India and come back the same person. It's just not possible.

I remember trying to transition back into America after leaving India last December. When I stepped off that plane in freezing Minneapolis, I oozed India. From the henna tattoos on my hands to my Ali Baba pants. Everything on me was from India, right down to the gum I was chewing. I adapted so well there, learning to live like the locals, I had gotten so good at getting around by rickshaw and train, avoiding tourists at all costs, using the squat toilets with no t.p., eating street food (and not getting sick), speaking Hindi, and even had the "head bobble" going on, which I didn't realize how bad it was until I was around people who didn't do this. This is a sort of yes/no nod that the Indians use frequently during conversation. It's catchy!

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home." ~ James Michener


I had just arrived in the U.S. of A, good ol' America, the country I had lived my entire life, and for the first time I felt like a stranger. Like I didn't belong. Everything was so.... CLEAN! The people were so WHITE.... and RUDE. Their accents so.... American. Things were so.... EXPENSIVE! I wanted to scream "Nooooo!" and run and hide in a corner and cry. I felt like I could see America for what it truly was. I had been so excited to get back home, but all I wanted to do was jump on the next plane back to my beloved India. I was in culture shock in my own country! I didn't realize how much I loved India until I left. It took months for me to process everything I had experienced.

With a sadhu in Kathmandu

India isn't for everyone.
Traveling in India is a dirty business. If you're a bit of a princess, you probably won't do well. You just have to let everything go. It's very liberating once you do. Don't worry about looking pretty or fixing your hair. Just have fun and be happy. Your fingernails will constantly be black underneath and your kleenex with turn black when you blow your nose at the end of the day. At some point, you will probably step in a big pile of cow poop on the street, and you could go days, maybe weeks, without a proper hot shower. It's colorful, it's fun, it's in your face and it is RAW.


A lot of people ask me what my favorite country is. It's hard to choose... Italy? New Zealand? Greece? But if I HAD to choose just one, it would definitely be India. It's the people that make the country, and the people of India have beautiful souls. They give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I can't quite explain.


They are just so sweet. It's no coincidence that their country is in the shape of a heart as big as theirs. Their smiles and actions are real, with an innocent child-like quality to it. They are some of the poorest people in the world, yet some of the kindest. They radiate with humbleness. If everyone strived to embody the characteristics they possess, the world would be a much better place.

Holy cow

For me to be back in an environment that is so similar makes me very happy. From what I've witnessed so far, the people of Nepal are just as kind and generous. When they offer to do something nice, your instinct makes you think, "ok, what do you want?" but then you realize they don't want anything in return. You could say they live by the "pay it forward" motto.

I knew I couldn't have picked a better country to volunteer my time and energy to. It feels so good to be able to give back to these people.