Wednesday, January 18, 2012

maya means love

I cannot find the words to describe this experience. There are no words to describe this experience! All I hope to do is express my sincere and absolute gratitude for those who helped make this possible. You have changed my life, and hopefully, helped me change the lives of others. Thank you.

Do you know why “clichés” are so overused?

Because they are true!


Home is where the heart is.

But do you know what that cliché doesn’t tell you? That your heart can be in two places at once.


Nepal. After six and a half months together, I can honestly say that you have stolen my heart. Your mountains, your smiles, your temples (no matter how dirty), your buses, your villages, your rolling hills, your elephants and rhinos, your children, your language, your cows, your customs, your hard work, and your Namaste’s have all taken my heart hostage. You have taught me gratitude in a way that I never could have gained in my home land (or at least hometown). Most of all, you have given me lifelong friends. Friends who’ve have shown me that language is never a barrier to love and laughter.


America. You are home to my friends and, most importantly, my family. You raised me. Your clean streets and untangled power lines kept me safe. You taught me lessons of reading, writing and mathematics, not to mention that you kept me pretty well fed. You give me Thanksgiving, Christmas and even St. Patty’s day with my FAMILY! You gave me the opportunity to work, learn and love -- something that very few in our big world ever get. For that I will be forever grateful.

So tell me...How do I survive with my heart in two completely different worlds?


I fear that it might just break in two.

Goodbye my dear Nepal.


And of course,

Namaste.


4 comments:

Karen said...

Kate, you are basically amazing!

Nicola said...

"Do you know why “clichés” are so overused?

Because they are true!"

Exactly. I've never seen the problem with cliches. If the words or the phrase describe exactly how you feel, then they're the right words or it's the right phrase. Cliche or not.

But anyway, I love how you describe Nepal. I've never lived abroad. I'm not opposed to the idea, but I have a condition; the country would have to take me by the hand and say to me "You could be happy here." I'd have to feel a genuine wrench when it was time to come home, as though I was leaving part of myself behind and the only way I could possibly be whole again would be to up sticks and leave.

A close friend emigrated about six or seven years back now, and it took her a long while to open up and let the new country in. Her parents were busy worrying about overseas medical insurance, visas, passports and that kind of thing, she was worrying about what she'd left behind and whether she'd lost it for good. And even when she found things she liked, she felt that she was somehow being disloyal to England.

She adjusted of course, and now she rarely has a good word to say about England. And that winds me up, but that's just the way she chose to deal with it. Me, I think I'd want to keep both countries close to my heart if I could, even if it did feel like my heart was breaking. No-one will ever be able to take away what Nepal has given you, nor what America has.

Diane said...

Hi Kate,

I found your blog by looking up a scripture (that brought me to your posting about Januk and Primary.) My 12 year old daughter and I are planning a "walkabout" and we will be in Nepal and southeast Asian next spring: March-May. Any chance you would be willing to give us a little coaching on where to go and where to be. We have a contact in Kathmandu, so we aren't going totally blind. But, we love great ideas that get us a better results!

best
diane

Diane said...

Oops, I didn't leave you a way to contact me if you see this and decide to respond:

dianesampsonz@gmail.com

Thanks,
diane