It's the final countdown...

It's been awhile since my last post, so sorry about that! 

I just returned from a little "retreat" in Pokhara, Nepal (about 200km from Kathmandu). I spent a few calming days there, a much needed break. It lies in the more mountainous region of Nepal. I was even able to see the Himalayas early one morning and as I was leaving on the bus, beautiful!

Himalayas

I was able to go and see Devi's Falls, a beautiful waterfall in Pokhara as well as the Gupteshwor Mahadev Gupha Cave. 

Devi's Falls

Staircase down to the Gupteshwor Mahadev Cave

Not only that but I took a beautiful boat ride across the Fewa River, to the base of the "hill" that leads up to the World Peace Pagoda/Stupa. After steep, rocky 1.25 km trek up the hill I arrived at the Peace Pagoda, which was truly beautiful and a very calming and moving experience.

                                          Fewa Lake                                      

World Peace Pagoda

Overall, Pokhara was an amazing retreat from the noise and pollution of Kathmandu, and an excellent way to kick off the last two weeks of my time here in Nepal. 

Fewa River

Friday I completed the four weeks that I spent shadowing and assisting the resident unit at Kanti. It was a bittersweet goodbye, because although I'm excited to be in a new part of the hospital for the last two weeks, I learned so much from them and formed relationships with the group, that I will definitely miss them.

I can't believe I have less than two weeks left here in Nepal. In just 10 days I will be boarding a plane and headed back to the United States. I'm so excited to be back home! A big part of my experience here in Nepal has been learning to be okay with the choices I make. This journey and time here in Nepal is my own, and I don't have to worrying about pleasing others, I just have to do what's best for me and what makes me happy. Because even if I've spent afternoons in my room reading or journaling or watching the world go by out my window, it's still an experience because I'm in Nepal. Every moment is an experience, one that I won't have anywhere else, and being able to remember and hold on to that has been a life-saver here in Nepal, especially as I cling for comfort. Whenever you travel, you open yourself up to something new- a new place, a new culture, a new opportunity. And of course, having traveled to many places in the United States, I already knew this (to a certain extent). But let me tell you- going 8,000 miles away from home, crossing the ocean, and taking on my first abroad experience alone, has definitely been a challenge. Especially the first week, when I had it all planned out to change my plane ticket and fly home a month early. And now, that seems crazy, because I would of been gone by now. I wouldn't of had the chance to have some of the hospital experiences I have, I wouldn't have been able to see some new parts of Kathmandu and Nepal, and I wouldn't have these last moments to soak in everything about Nepal- the culture, the people, the hospital and most of all the lessons.
The countdown is officially on. See you in 11 days, America.