Sitting in front a window at the Roadhouse in Thamel, realizing I’ll be leaving Nepal in less than 8 hours, feel like unreal. There is a strong voice inside me saying: I don’t want to go! These two months was like a dream, the kind of dream I wish I could encounter again and again. This is a country I ended up falling in love with regardless of its poor infrastructure and poverty. Before I came, I thought it would be just like any other trip I had, only with longer time and a bunch of volunteer work. I never thought this could be a trip that changed so much of me that my life will never be the same. This is a place I call it “home”, with many faces that I’ll miss in the future. This is a place I want to be a part of, not just as a tourist.
Here a cup of tea becomes much tastier because of the companionship. The meals are yummier with the cheerful spirit that our cook Bibek put into it. The stress is none as I’m always surrounded by those beautiful souls who made every moment delightful. The time here is just a rough guideline when you have nothing to do but enjoy the conversations while bathing under the sunshine. It was a great honor to be a medical provider for the people here, knowing that some of them walked hours to the clinic for me to carry out a treatment. Those moments that I was sitting on the stairways to have my hair braided by my lovely Ambrita will never fade. Sushila’s handcrafts, Bimala’s angel-like voice are the best things in the world. Those smiles, tears and hugs from our young interpreters touched me deeply every day. They say “Don’t go. Please don’t go.” If I have the choice, I’ll say “no, I won’t go” --- Yun Xiao
