Returning to Kathmandu

In 2000, I spent several months backpacking through Southeast Asia, including about 3 weeks in Nepal and Tibet. I had gotten a respiratory infection while in Nepal, so couldn’t go trekking like I had hoped to. Somehow I ended up spending most of my time near a place previously unknown to me - Bouddhanath Stupa, the largest Buddhist prayer Kora in all of Nepal. It became precious to me - I spent hours there, watching the Tibetan Buddhists pray and walk clockwise around the prayer circuit, spinning prayer wheels clockwise, quietly saying mantras, with colorful prayer flags flapping gently in the wind overhead with the smell of incense in the air. It became my happy place and since that time, I’ve always considered it my favorite place on the other side of the world. ❤️

More than 20 year later I have finally returned with Brian and the kiddos - and the second I saw it again, my breath stopped. It is magnificent. No amount of pictures or video can do it justice. As a proud hospice nurse who believes deeply in the work I do, I don’t always understand what makes me tick but I do know it’s based on a spiritual connection to my work. That said, I feel as strongly and spiritually connected to Bouddhanath even 20 years later as I do in being a hospice nurse. So glad to be back…

For us as a family, this has been yet another eye opening part of this adventure: seeing the “monkey temple,” homeless dogs, Hindu cremations on an outdoor funeral pyre (yes we saw this), learning about the Sherpa, meeting monks, lots of cars and chaotic traffic, a crazy ride in a Rickshaw, and having the most wonderful guide that we ended up having dinner with the following night along with her family. We have been blessed with this.

Tomorrow we head to Pokhara and then trekking…

You’ll probably hear from us after the trek is done / not sure about wifi up in the Himalayas as it’s already terrible in Kathmandu!

Love and light!Read more