april showers bring may flowers

in limbo

so. guess who is home? this lady.

let's get straight down to business:

guess what no one tells you?! well the list could go on so we'll start at #1.

Here's the scoop. everyone is so busy telling you how hard culture shock is into a 3rd world country that they COMPLETELY forget to tell you that it is 1 BILLION (x10) times harder to adjust back to America.

and i'm a little mad (okay not really. for dramatic effect.) no one could at least give this little girl a heads up that driving is way scarier than before, the dentist is still as horrible as you thought, and being social is way too tiring??? c'mon guys. i expected more from you. just kidding, I just love your little faces.

your devious little faces....

on another note, new technology is so scary and exhilarating all at once that i can barely stand it! I bought a mac today and was given a hand-me-down (or hand-BY-down?! WHICH ONE IS IT?!) "smart" phone when I got back. it's all a little bit insane. AND is it just me or does everyone speak in what i like to call instagram language?! at least Facebook is the same.....OH WAIT everyone can now see a timeline of my life. but why am i complaining? i still go on just like everybody else. haha.

anyways, i'm very ready to stop rambling (as I am sure you are too) so this is farewell for now.

send your prayers that i can backpack out of limbo-land without completely losing my mind.

love to you all. really. i'm just FULL of love today! ...thanks to my consistent weekly watching of We Bought A Zoo.

xoxo,

K

ps, indonesia pictures coming soon. they are beautiful (thanks to beautiful children). you'll fall in love just as i did.

update

I aaaaaaam baaaaaaaaaaaaack!! I know you've probably missed me to a point of physical pain. don't you worry babies, I'm back.

I am currently chillin in Hanoi, Vietnam after a 25 hour bus from Laos. 5 words: HELL in a bus ride. Excuse my language, but don't judge me until you have taken the ride. haha.

Kickin it with the makster and eating some delish street food. keepin it classy--drinking bubble tea and zippin around on motorbikes.

Tomorrow we'll head over to Halong bay for a couple days (google it now).

After that, heading down to Southern Vietnam (STOKED+PADI) and over to Cambodia (momma's joinin us woot woot). After that we'll be hopping back to Thailand to visit the southern islands (also STOKED), and ending the trip in Bali for some meditation, surf lessons from the makster, and gnarly diving. Woot woot.

did I mention I am so grateful to be doing this right now? So happy I made the decision to put off school for a year! Although that's not the right choice for everyone, it definitely was for me. although i can't wait to hear back from schools to see if the crazy girl is admitted. pray.

so so so happy to be on this adventure. Sorry, this blog probably won't be updated very often as I don't have a computer, so hopefully I can catch up on stories later!

xoxo,

kateybaby (as the babies call me)

ps, i've officially overdosed on spring rolls, pad thai and fruit smoothies. and apparently I am now allergic to pineapple? Curse you, Universe.

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.

Watch it

Idea by Anna. (ghetto) Filming and editing by me. Inspirational thoughts by the Kathmandu Branch Relief Society.

high school musical re runs

Last night I had a nightmare. A nightmare that was so much like real life that is scared me to consciousness. I was sitting in some sort of formal gathering. My friends and family surrounded me. There was a program of speakers and I was sitting in a seat in the middle of the room.

As speakers continually went over their allotted time slots, the program became more and more behind schedule (which would normally stress me out, but for some reason did not). Finally, one of the organizers passed a note to one of the girls speaking. It was something about how there was no more time and she needed to finish her talk early.

All of the sudden she started freaking out (okay this didn’t seem quite like real life...). She started screaming how she has fixed her hair for an hour-AN HOUR-for this! They were so selfish to cut down her time etc etc... All of the sudden all of her screaming started getting louder and louder in my head. Everyone started talking about how bad they felt for her and complaining about so many materialistic things (like her straightener. random.). The words got louder and louder and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to walk out. All that was running through my head was “How can these people not realize how LUCKY they are!”

I sat in a plastic chair looking out at the rain pouring down (so emotional, i know) and all I could think about was how all I wanted at that moment was to be back in Nepal. Back with the beautiful people here who are so grateful for the little they do have.

I woke up feeling relieved I was still sleeping on my hard little bed in my cold bedroom in the dusty city of Kathmandu. It’s not every day that I feel that way...

Okay who wants to bet that I am going to have a difficult time adjusting back?! Haha.

I'm just going to walk around america looking like this..

I'll totally fit in.