the giants in the distance

As I woke, Michael tugging at my sleeve, from a quiet nap on our flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu, I saw what I thought were the clouds in the distance. I smiled at Michael and shifted to return to my nap when he said "those aren't clouds Kelsey, those are the mountains." This woke me up completely, and I turned again to the window to see Everest, rising slightly above its neighbors, a community of giants resting on the horizon.

Today is our first full day in Nepal. We woke to an early morning volleyball game outside of our window at the Volunteer Nepal volunteer house in Kathmandu. We ate a delicious breakfast of vegetarian fried rice (many of the meals will be vegetarian here about which I am psyched!) and a delicious cup of tea. We just spent most of the morning and early afternoon at Papa's House, one of four orphan homes in Kathmandu that Caite's cousin, Michael Hess, started here in Nepal. Michael and I jumped right into an intense basketball game with some of the girls who were quite good at basketball, and quite excited to be playing in the morning sun. It was the gittiest I have felt in some time. Everything about it was joyous - bouncing around the small court, missing every basket but mostly trying to pass to the littlest girl on our team. The girls giggled and played with pure joy. We also played volleyball, monkeybars, swings, and chatted with many of the girls and boys. They are amazing children. Most of them have come from a hard past, but now live much happier lives thanks to Michael and his great staff. We got to chat with Michael a bit, which was great fun for me both because I think he is an incredible man for what he has done for so many kids in Nepal, but also because I have heard so much about him, and what he is doing, from Caite through the years. When he realized that I was the friend who hiked the AT with Caite, and then connected the naked hiking day story, I hoped he wouldn't turn me in to the state department or turn me away from helping teach children here in Nepal, but he just chuckled and smiled.

Tomorrow we head on a three day journey to our volunteer placement at a Tibetan refugee Buddhist nunnery near the Tibetan border. It is a hefty bus ride and two day hike to get to the nunnnery. We will spend a month living at the nunnery learning about Buddhism, practicing meditation and prayer, teaching English and other subjects to the nuns as well as the local sherpa school in the valley below, and helping out around the nunnery. We don't know exactly what to expect, but we are excited by what we have heard. We aren't sure if there will be internet there, so if you don't here from us soon, it is because we are without internet.

Michael and I will spend the afternoon making sure we have all of the gear we need for our month at the nunnery as well as our six week trek. There is some great knock-off outdoor gear for sale that we hear is still good quality, but doesn't necessarily live up to its name brand (think $200 northface pants being sold for $13.) We hope to find another yummy supper (last night we found some somosas that were among the best food I have ever had - all for 80 cents!)

Shout out to my little brother Spencer for his 21st birthday that we will miss while at the nunnery. Welcome to adulthood Spencer.

Love and good wishes to you all!