It is not unusual to have some underlying anxious feelings when presented with the opportunity for a new adventure. Especially in India, where details are minimal and plans are always subject to change. So when met with the opportunity to go on a trekking excursion with my monk students for seven days, there was some initial hesitation and fear. Upon arriving home on Monday afternoon, my coordinator asked me:
"So the school principal invited us to go on the monks pilgrimage. Want to go?"
"Sure, sounds great! When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow. Be ready at 5 am. Bring warm clothes and hiking gear. We will be gone for 7 days. "
Immediate regret struck me. Seven days in the mountains? I had no real warm gear and especially no hiking or climbing equipment. However, I have become accustomed to to "Indian time" and the general go with the flow attitude. All I really knew was that my students were going and that detail was enough to convince me the trip was going to be worth while. Little was I aware that my agreement entailed a 2 day ride to the trekking site, a 15,000 ft mountain, and traveling with an irritable old guy....
The winding, dirt roads up to the base camp proved to be all part of the adventure. The nick name of one of the passages we crossed is called "the passage of a thousand deaths". We even reached a point in our journey where we could no longer travel the roads due to their condition and we had to get out and walk to our destination.
Staying in remote villages and monasteries, we had the fortunate opportunity to immerse ourselves with locals and partake in moments of their daily lives. Whether it was sharing an afternoon chai, or utilizes the public baths (sites where you can gather running water to possibly wash your hair), it was not hard to immerse yourself in the community. We even had the opportunity to stop at our drivers mother-in-law's house and prepare a quick meal along the journey.
I continue to find myself caught-up in the little moments. Although the views from the peeks are amazing, it was our stay at a little remote monastery that I found breathtakingly beautiful. Despite having a full guest house, the nuns in the monastery welcomed us in and prepared a room for our stay. Additionally, they had no food for us but we somehow scrapped together a meal of rice and potatoes. Upon waking up in the morning, I was invited into a small room on the second floor with an oven and a stove where they were preparing breakfast. As a sat down for my morning chai, the nuns and monks, who rarely encounter westerners, were intrigued by our ability to speak English. They even offered us a place to stay if we were able to provide them with English lessons. After breakfast, as I walked around the grounds of the monastery, I was invited into their morning pooja (chanting or prayer). As I sat down, I used the time to reflect with gratitude, realizing how incredible this unexpected experience has been.