Inclusion

Nepal, a place where inclusion and acceptance isn’t taught, it’s believed. The simplest “Namaste”, which means, the soul in me, greets the soul in you. It is a magnificent thing to witness and be a part of. The love and adoration for everything that crosses your path. These are the people in the world that know the meaning of honesty. Honesty to themselves and honesty to others. It’s really an amazing thing to learn from. I know that I have definitely been reminded of my blessings, and all the things, material or not, that I began to take for granted. It’s really funny to notice every year something new that I take for granted. Truly, it is the smallest things that are the most important. I’ve been taught so much on this trip about happiness and how to be the best version of myself, and I can’t wait to teach everyone at home.

                Class 4, probably the most diverse group of personalities I have ever met. To name a few, Sandip, a trouble maker who begs for attention, and can also get his work done to a “T”. Aayesha, a small innocent girl with bright eyes and the eagerness to answer every question. And also among my favorites, Raj, a boy with a curiosity so big that it doesn’t fit in the classroom. These were three out of my 20 amazing students. All of whom taught me, how to make being uncomfortable, comfortable. Along with these students I also taught class 10’s Health class. I stood in front of them and talked about “Safe Motherhood” and I know it wouldn’t have been possible to teach them all the required information if I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort zone. This teaching experience was by far one of the best and one where I really grasped the talent of teaching. Going from a shy lecturer to a fun, using my body, chanting, singing kind of teacher. I have really found my element and my way of expressing my teaching and I’m so glad I did. It has been so energizing and rewarding for it to finally just click. I think I truly didn’t know the potential I had as a teacher until I started using it.

                These past two weeks have gone by so incredibly fast. The timeline of meeting the classes we were teaching, painting the preschool, to more teaching, to doing a scavenger hunt around Bhaktapur with Class 10 and then finally visiting three of the most famous temples in Nepal. It has been extraordinary. All these activities paired with the service are a perfect combination of satisfying and enjoyable. It’s always interesting to see how much we have grown not only as individuals, but as a group, as a family.

                Danyabad (Thank You), Nepal.