3.4.11

1M B4CK

Namaste!

Hello (translation) friends! Long time, long time. Here's a fun fact for you all: I decided to screw high school and stay in Nepal!!!! Hahahahahh - I wish. Happy belated April Fool's! (Terrible joke can be justified because it's belated and that's just how it goes) (mad props to all the witty bloggers that April fooled their readers. You're mad witty. Yeah.)

So now that you guys got your much-needed dose of my hilarity (haha, oh Lexy), let's move onto more productive things, like celebrating the fact that I'm home. Oh yeah. Hi, I'm home. (And by “celebrating,” I mean, auuuuuughhhh.)

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I've been home since Monday, actually, but it's kind of been about easing back into the schedule (by "easing," I mean, getting thrown into the school schedule and speed catching up on boring missed work). It's unfortunate. It really is. My trip to Nepal was AMAZING.

AMAZING.
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I had such an incredible, incredible time. The atmosphere there is really indescribable. There were so, so, so many magical moments that consumed my days: from trekking in the Himalayas, to seeing shooting stars, to being accused of being Nepali, to living out of a pack, to rocking minimal showers, to speed shopping in the cheap markets, to getting to meet the most adorable/friendly/intelligent children, to AH I MISS IT SO MUCH.
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Nepalis are really incredible and beautiful and HAPPY people. I am so lucky. I got to meet all these children in far away villages (took hours and hours and hours and hours to trek there! AH I AM AN ATHLETE/ ROCKED THE BACK OF THE PACK). They are incredible. Seriously. So open. So happy. They have so little. I am dumbfounded. They made my heart grow and my mouth smile continuously. I really miss them. I really think we could learn a lot from them. You don’t need a lot to be happy. Just be happy. I hope to meet them again.

I could honestly go on for paragraphs and pages and stories on my experience, but I will spare you all. It was an incredible, seeing the world, what could the future be? experience.

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Right now, I am in the "sinking in" process. I have been asked many times if this was a "life-changing" trip (as it is advertised). I think it was. I mean, isn’t everything? Everything you do, in some way, contributes to who you are as a person, or how you see things, or how you evolve – and this was definitely one of those experiences.

It really gave me time to evaluate my life and my values and my hopes and my dreams. I am sufficiently confused. It ignited my wanderlust. It made all my dreams explode a million more times. It made me assess what I want in life. Ah, IT'S A LOT. I am happy/confused/scared/hopeful. It’s a melting pot of emotions. It makes my heart pound in excitement and fear. I honestly have NO idea what might happen in the next year, five years, ten years. Not a clue. It’s wonderful.

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And now, here I am. At home. It’s weird. I’m getting back in the swing of things. But it’s like AUGH I DON’T WANT TO AND I DON’T NEED TO. As I study for insignificant tests or memorize things I don’t care about, I just can’t help but wonder why? As I type on this laptop or tap my fashion-y feet, it’s like why? I easily went three weeks without Facebook and then BAM, I’m on it several times each day. Why? There’s something about this lifestyle that sucks you into all of these realms and paths that are just there for you to latch on. I think there’s a secret in life. I think that we’re all missing it. (I will proudly note that I have yet to charge my phone. It's been four weeks, ho hum, I am so not popular enough to have a phone!)

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It’s interesting adjusting back to the Western society. It scares me, actually, because it’s been so easy and speedy. While the ease of Nepal is consistently drumming at the back of my mind, I can’t help but be sucked in. I’m at a coffee shop right now. I look around. Everyone is engrossed in their own problems or work or conversations. Is this how we live? What are we missing?

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Evidently, a lot of thoughts are brewing in my mind. They’re not supremely deep or profound or anything. Just thoughts, just life.

I’m a dreamer. I want to see the world. I want to live the world. I think the most valuable thing I gained from this trip is confirmation. The world is fucking great.

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As human beings, I find that we complicate things. We make our lives tougher than they need to be. We create problems that don’t exist, we exaggerate things that don’t matter. Maybe it gives us a sense of significance or purpose. Maybe our “problems” make us feel worthy or necessary. But, really, it’s not like that. Our lives don’t need to be complicated. I don’t think that that’s what life is supposed to be. Life is complicated. But, then again, it’s really, really not. Life is about love, happiness, creation, meaning. Maybe it’s just that extra smile you give to that stranger. Maybe if we all just smiled more.

Right now, I’m riding the wave. It’s a journey. I wonder what will happen in the next year...

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Dhanyabaad! Thank you for reading if anyone read all of that. If you didn’t, that’s okay. It’s worth writing out thoughts bubbling in the head. xxx

(I took 2000+ photos. It's impossible to encompass the trip in only these few, but I hope you enjoy them. To be honest, it's hard to capture the essence of the trip without being there. I may post more soon if it suits your fancy or however that lovely saying goes.)

P.S. Despite living in unwashed trekking gear for the last few weeks, I promise that outfit posts will be here shortly. (In Nepal, I couldn’t care less about fashion and outfits and BAM, here I am. Sucked back into it. Not an insult to anything or anyone, by any means. Just an observation. What matters here and what matters there is so different. I don’t know which is right or which is wrong or does that even exist? Is there a happy medium? The world is a big, big place.)

17 comments:

Marloes | The Style Sandwich said...

This trip sounds awesome! The photos make me want to go to Nepal asap.
Welcome back! :)

Melissa said...

that looks like SUCH an amazing and inspiring trip!!
ive missed your posts haha!!
xx

ching said...

wow. home never looked that good. your photos are crazy awesome.

SOJOURNED IN STYLE said...

I classify your trip whole heartedly as life changing. the pictures are stunning portals into Nepalese life. the children are so so adorable. this whole thing makes me want to be done with school and just be free to explore and learn along the way not on 8 to 2 time constraints.

duckalicious said...

welcome back!!!!!

I love what you wrote, it's really amazing. I find your experience in the coffee shop particularly interesting. when I came back from Vietnam, I was kinda sensitized for some time in the way that I could hardly stand most of the people here. I just wanted to run away. it's true what you say, the world is big and amazing. here's to traveling!

Jenna said...

Man these pictures are awesome!!! It sounds like you had an amazing trip!!! I am so jealous of you!!!

Amelie said...

You're right, the west is incredibly different from the east. Westerners...well, we're selfish and really stuck up our own asses (like you said, we're all in our own little bubbles). I haven't been to the east, but I really REALLY want to go. I'm glad you had a great time!

Why do we do things? Why am I working a job I don't like? Why did I get a degree in psychology and then, in my last semester, decided I didn't want to do anything with that degree? You're right, we complicate things, like I've done a million times. And, to be honest, I often wonder if we complicate things because we think it's how life is supposed to be: complicated.

six-twentytwo-onine said...

You went to Boudha.. Did you visit other temples?
I miss back home .. i love this post...
Alisha

Abbey said...

LOVE this post! The photos are beautiful!

cartoonfruit said...

That was really fun to read :) But I think the world is quite small, because when I went to India and my grandmother had to go to the dentist, we saw a family friend who lives in Australia there! :o

heheh yeah..

LyddieGal said...

Goodness, that sounds like quite the trip.
And I feel like I know just what you mean, about how we just constantly create problems, that we wont ever even let ourselves be happy - we have to put a million conditions on it; "when i've finished school" "when get a promotion" "when I get married" We always throw one obstacle after another infront of ourselves.

Chic on the Cheap

roxanne said...

beautiful photography and words! i can't wait to be in a stable enough place financially to start traveling. i'm so glad that you had such a phenomenal time!

Eli said...

wow thank you for taking the time to post this! These shots are absolutely stunning!

Sweet said...

welcome back dear...good thing you enjoyed your trip...and I am so proud of you...you've been so responsible...and strong taking all the challenges and trying to evaluate where you are right now...I can certainly assert and agree with you...living in a third world country and seeing swamps of how other people live...I've always thought about how I am living my life...I am definitely lucky to have great parents who have provided me with so many things...that is why sometimes if I asked too much and expect too much...I always remind myself that I am being so greedy and selfish...

coz I know that there are people out there who are happy if they have their family with them...I can personally say and relate to my students experiences...teaching them and trying my best to tutor them everyday is hard...especially if they live without the support of their family and and friends...

It really helps, if we go through this kind of process in our lives..it makes us different, it makes us see the world in a different light...

So happy that you enjoyed every details love...

Kisses
Sweet
PensandLens
@mistytewest

Mademoiselle Ruta said...

It looks like you had an amazing time!!! I really hope you do post more photos from your trip!!

Leigh said...

yay fot being back! your trip looks amazing, and it looks like you had an awesome time :)

thelibertybelleblog.blogspot.com

Hello Naka said...

wopw over 2000 photos! i cant wait for u to show them all :p it looks like a great experince :3