It's over...but not forgotten

Ah, well...sorry. I've recently been informed that I've neglected my blog. And wow, have I ever. Here's why. My last week in Kathmandu was a whirlwind. I had a lot of work to do, lots to see and lots to buy. It was my last week to take advantage of my surroundings. After a couple of weeks I was finally becoming accustomed to my surroundings. I was getting lost less often, had developed a sense of direction somewhat, knew what I needed to get, how to get it and where to go. Yay! I met lots of great people who wanted to go out and we went all over the city, usually 4 to 5 places a night. I met and learned from many Nepalese people who were more than willing to share their thoughts, be honest and tell me all about things I will never fully understand as a badeshi. They expect that I will be back again...I wish I could be as confident.

I've learned a lot from the Nepalese in Kathmandu. Most importantly I learned that we have to listen, not act first. What are the NGO's doing for Nepal? What can westerners offer Nepal? In their eyes, we're not offering much and I sense a bit of frustration when they talk about it. Who's listening to Nepal? What do they really need from us? Money? Support? A voice? An audience? What?

I had a fantastic time in Kathmandu and wouldn't trade it for the world. It was an insanely fast 3 weeks and by rights, should have been 4 weeks with a 3 day break in the middle to travel around a bit. Did they need to send me half way around the world to build websites and do a workshop? Probably not but I'm glad they did. I know more about myself (traveling alone is a must folks, it's the only way to learn), I have been humbled and accepted criticism (never easy), I've dealt with challenges and succeeded. How could I possibly learn all that from a book? The impact is HUGE and trips like these do change who you are. Let me restate this important fact: you have to travel alone. It's not scary or intimidating...it's amazing to find out what you're made of, what your limits are and how you can change yourself.

I've added a wrap up video. And here's another recommended read - suggested by a Nepalese friend. I've been told it's better to read this book after having been to Nepal: Amma in America.