We just finished our last shift of this week and get a long weekend off to celebrate Tihar! This is the time when everyone gives thanks and worships important persons/animals in their lives. This Hindu holiday includes Brothers’ Day, a day to worship crows, and a day to worship cows and dogs. I hope to be able to participate in as many of the festivities as I can. 😊🙏🏽

When you’re not used to going without your creature comforts it’s easy to get in a negative mind space. I have started doing morning and night “Three Thankfuls” and focusing on the things I am very thankful for in the moment.

The last few mornings have been very cold here in Bajrabarahi as the season changes into winter. I like to sit with Rocky (officially unofficial ARP dog) and think about my Three Thankfuls as the sun breaches the mountains and warms my face.

Today mine are: 1. Rocky (quiet, constant companionship) 2. My sister’s thermal underwear 3. Hot chocolate

I think Rocky’s are: 1. The hard boiled eggs I sneak him every morning 2. Dal baht 3. Rice

What are you thankful for???

In the five weeks I have been here the rice has turned from a fresh green to a golden brown with the touch of the sun. The last few days patient counts in each clinic have been a bit lower because once it’s time for rice harvest, all hands are on deck. It’s a time of community as neighbors help one another harvesting their crops.

I was able to get a bit closer to see the process happen today. There are many tiny pathways leading to and from different crops and even though I thought I was on one that lead me directly to the one being harvested, I ended up to the far left of it. Perhaps in the next few days I’ll be able to get a front row seat to the action and finally see how one of the staple foods for me since childhood is actually collected!

The machine that separates the rice from the stalks is run manually by pumping it with the foot. The rice is collected in bags, some is taken home and some sold at the market or to bigger cities. The stalks are bundled and left in the sun to dry and are later fed to livestock.

It’s been a while since I’ve posted because I’m still recovering from my attempt at reaching peaks and plateaus of the Himalayas! A week ago Nepalis celebrated their biggest holiday, Dashain….it’s kind of like when we get a week off to celebrate Christmas. During this time businesses are closed (even hospitals!) and everyone spends time traveling to see family, eating, dancing and enjoying each other’s company. Since the clinic was closed, Andrew took us to the city of Pokhara (about an 8 hour car ride away from Bajrabarahi). This city is the starting point for beginning and avid trekkers alike. Me, of course, falling in the first group.

The plan was to trek for four days, staying in a new village each night along the trek, and then return to Pokhara to have a few days of rest before coming back to Bajrabarahi. I thought some of the hikes I’d done with my Aunty Martha on Oahu back in the day along with my heart-pumping Zumba classes at the gym in Portland were precursor enough for what I was about to experience. Boy was I WRONG. This wasn’t just hard, it was excruciating. I’m sure none of you are surprised that I wasn’t cut out for the task at hand! I purposefully waited to write about my experience to give myself time to look back and reflect upon the positive parts haha.

I was able to make it through two out of the four days of the trek. The first day we trekked for about 10 hours. The second day was around six hours but included 800 m of steep uphill. We went to bed with sore muscles every night and woke up before sunrise each morning to catch the spectacular views of the mountains before clouds disguised them. Having asthma didn’t help my situation and I was suffering from some stomach issues. At the end of the second day I decided to throw in the towel and boy am I happy that I did. I hired a taxi to take me back to Pokhara and spent an extra night in a hotel (with a real toilet haha). I did get some pretty amazing pics in the first few days though!

Early morning rise to see Annapurna South

Sunshine rays

Prayer flags (photo courtesy of Leah Friend)

The tea house we stayed in at Ghandruk (2012 m above sea level) with views of Annapurna South, Machhapuchhre, Himalchuli

Of course I found a chicken to pick up and carry along the trek

Visited a Nepali history museum in Ghandruk village

These two I met along the trek

A rare picture of me smiling during the trek

Our trekking group with our guides and porters

And, of course, no post is complete without a photo of a water buffalo

So, I did it! Never in my life did I think I would see the Himals with my own two eyes. It was also a good lesson for me in knowing when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em, if you catch my drift. My body said “no” after two days, and that’s ok. If I’m going to take this journey toward health, healing and happiness I have to know my limitations and also that if I’m not taking care of health first, my body can’t heal and I won’t be happy.