I learned and grew so much during my five weeks spent in India. I feel more in tune with myself, more humbled and grateful for the privileges and blessings I have every day, more compelled to study up on the happenings of the world, and more desire to live my life in such a way that will make a difference in the world.
It would be impossible for me to articulate to you all just how much I learned on this trip about myself. This week, I will post about all I learned regarding the current situation in Tibet. Other than that, my lessons seemed very internal and personal. My journal from my travels has the privilege of hearing those inner thoughts, but I'm not sure if I could ever express them on my blog. That being said, I would love to share with you all the most important lesson I learned about travel in general:
Never compare the places you travel. Never go into a new country with expectations based on past travel experiences. It will throw you off.
In 2011 traveled to Nairobi, Kenya with International Volunteer Headquarters--the same organization I traveled to India with. Kenya will always hold a very special place in my heart, as it was my first real experience of this big, wide world.
I went to India thinking of all the things that would be the same and different as my experience in Kenya. Let me tell you, NOTHING was the same. Absolutely nothing. Not the volunteer organization, not the people, not the food, not the weather--nothing! It took me a few days to realize that I had to stop comparing my time in India to my time in Kenya. When I did that, I was free to embrace the culture and life I was experiencing in India. I was able to gain so much on a totally different level than I would have if I was constantly comparing the two.
Here is what I firmly believe:
Every place you travel, you will gain something new. There will be one main thing that impacts you, and can sum up your experience in that country.
In Kenya, what stood out to me was the genuine happiness and love the people embraced, despite all the struggles they deal with. Resiliency.
I was living in the second largest slum in all of Africa. The poverty and devastating circumstances there overwhelm me to this day. I remember being astounded that the majority of the students at my school didn't know who their parents were--they were orphans in the slum. I remember the day my students took me to see the body of a man who had just been killed by the mob the previous night--a terrible image so vivid and clear in my memory. I was brought to tears to see the women and children who were literally living in mountains of garbage, yet they still had smiles on their faces. Realizing the number of people I was surrounded with struggling with AIDS, yet living as best as they can was emotional. Yet the Kenyan people have a happiness and a smile that I swear can light up the world. They came rolling up in matatus (vans) blasting reggae music, ready to adventure, laugh, and joke. They welcomed us into their homes with open arms and loving brightness. I am forever grateful for those experiences. I learned through my friends in Kenya that positivity and happiness are so powerful.
In India, what stood out to me was spirituality.
Religion and spirituality rule every aspect of life in India and Tibet, and it is truly beautiful. We only got to experience Hinduism a little, but I can talk forever about Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan people we were privileged to be surrounded by were the most spiritual I have ever met. Most of the town of Dharamsala was monks and nuns, dedicating their lives to learning the teachings of the Buddha and striving to live the best life possible in order to be happy in the next life. Love and compassion, the two fundamental principles of Buddhism are truly what the Tibetan people live. Their spirituality was deeply personal and so modest, yet so beautiful. Right now, they are unable to practice their religion in Tibet, so many of them cross the Himalayan mountains to seek refugee status in neighboring countries. They have three ambitions: to meet the Dalai Lama, to learn English, and to practice Buddhism. They risk their lives for these ambitions, and it humbled me to see that. I feel as if I gained a whole new appreciation for spirituality in my life. It really can be the thing that keeps a person going when all else seems to crash down. It is a beautiful thing, and I have an all new appreciation for the freedom we have here in America to practice whatever religious and spiritual beliefs we want.
Sorry for the extremely long post--there was just so much to say! If you read this much, thanks, and I would love to hear your thoughts!
Go out and see the world. You will grow unimaginable amounts in the journey of figuring out your beliefs and place in the world. I know I have.
It would be impossible for me to articulate to you all just how much I learned on this trip about myself. This week, I will post about all I learned regarding the current situation in Tibet. Other than that, my lessons seemed very internal and personal. My journal from my travels has the privilege of hearing those inner thoughts, but I'm not sure if I could ever express them on my blog. That being said, I would love to share with you all the most important lesson I learned about travel in general:
Never compare the places you travel. Never go into a new country with expectations based on past travel experiences. It will throw you off.
In 2011 traveled to Nairobi, Kenya with International Volunteer Headquarters--the same organization I traveled to India with. Kenya will always hold a very special place in my heart, as it was my first real experience of this big, wide world.
I went to India thinking of all the things that would be the same and different as my experience in Kenya. Let me tell you, NOTHING was the same. Absolutely nothing. Not the volunteer organization, not the people, not the food, not the weather--nothing! It took me a few days to realize that I had to stop comparing my time in India to my time in Kenya. When I did that, I was free to embrace the culture and life I was experiencing in India. I was able to gain so much on a totally different level than I would have if I was constantly comparing the two.
Here is what I firmly believe:
Every place you travel, you will gain something new. There will be one main thing that impacts you, and can sum up your experience in that country.
In Kenya, what stood out to me was the genuine happiness and love the people embraced, despite all the struggles they deal with. Resiliency.
In India, what stood out to me was spirituality.
There are many places in Dharamsala, such as temples, where you are not allowed to take pictures. I have less pictures to show the spirituality in Tibet. The final two pictures are not mine--click on the picture for photo credit!
Religion and spirituality rule every aspect of life in India and Tibet, and it is truly beautiful. We only got to experience Hinduism a little, but I can talk forever about Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan people we were privileged to be surrounded by were the most spiritual I have ever met. Most of the town of Dharamsala was monks and nuns, dedicating their lives to learning the teachings of the Buddha and striving to live the best life possible in order to be happy in the next life. Love and compassion, the two fundamental principles of Buddhism are truly what the Tibetan people live. Their spirituality was deeply personal and so modest, yet so beautiful. Right now, they are unable to practice their religion in Tibet, so many of them cross the Himalayan mountains to seek refugee status in neighboring countries. They have three ambitions: to meet the Dalai Lama, to learn English, and to practice Buddhism. They risk their lives for these ambitions, and it humbled me to see that. I feel as if I gained a whole new appreciation for spirituality in my life. It really can be the thing that keeps a person going when all else seems to crash down. It is a beautiful thing, and I have an all new appreciation for the freedom we have here in America to practice whatever religious and spiritual beliefs we want.
Sorry for the extremely long post--there was just so much to say! If you read this much, thanks, and I would love to hear your thoughts!
Go out and see the world. You will grow unimaginable amounts in the journey of figuring out your beliefs and place in the world. I know I have.
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