Looking back, now, and forward

I went through my photos on flickr. I started to think of the things I've done in the past 15 months. I miss home...but where is home? I use to consider Nepal being home because it was so easy to fall in the Nepali lifestyle. In Ladakh, I had a nice room in a perfect location, with big windows where I could sit and watch people walk by, that I considered home. Hanoi is great to me so far and it's my home now, for the time being.

It seemed that I have left my mark in each place I've been to. I want to go back and visit the people that I have bonded and shared tea with. I want to go back to Nepal, visit the boys and monks, and see how tall they've grown. I want to go back to Ladakh and see if the classroom murals I painted had faded. I want to go back to McLeod Ganj, India, just to be in McLeod Ganj, I want to feel what I felt the first day I arrived there...butterflies.

McLeod Ganj.

I think I have accomplished what I dreamt of -for so many years- already. Being a wanderer is cool. I can easily pick up my backpack without saying Goodbye and go to a new country tomorrow if I wanted to. Knowing that I have that freedom makes me happy. I love change so much that I can't think what I will do next month.

I really encourage my readers (or whoever actually reads my entries) to be inspired by my experiences. Like, who do you know that has seen the Dalai Lama 5 times...driving or walking by you randomly? That doesn't happen. Occasionally, I would get emails from random people saying they found my blog and have been reading for a few months, and then telling me that they bought a plane ticket to South America or India to volunteer! Can you imagine how that makes me feel? Even writing this post makes me emotional. I get emails from people asking me where to volunteer and how to find a good organization, and I'll write back with tons of references, advice, stories, and personal destination favorites. This is why I blog, to inspire and help other ordinary people like me to get up and go.

One thing I learned during my trip is that appreciation and my relationship with the people I met are essential, those are the reasons why I am still here and continuing for who knows how long. For example: If my students can't fully understand the use of modal verbs, it's okay...I don't feel that I failed in teaching them. I know that one day they will understand which modal verbs to use. Even so, because I had a close relationship with them, I still feel that we both learned something: was each other. They share their lives with me and I share my life with them. That bond will never leave my memories and I hope to meet more people that will leave a mark in my heart.