The best part about traveling, in my opinion, is the opportunity to engage intimately with people of another culture. Nepal has been nothing short of amazing in large part because of our home building experience with Habitat for Humanity Nepal. Had we simply been tourists (and there’s plenty to do if you’re here on vacation) we would have enjoyed ourselves, but we would not have seen the “real” Nepal. Our hearts have been touched, opened, even broken. And when your heart is open it’s possible to love deeply.
We are all human, despite our differences in nationality, ethnicity, geography. Vulnerability must precede intimacy so that we can see beyond what is in front of us. It is in this place that one realizes we are more alike than we are different. Joy, suffering, humility, pride, love and longing are all part of the human condition. We built a house with our hands. We built friendships with our hearts.
It helps to think of this as “so long” – not goodbye. The way I look at it, we owe Nepal a huge namaste.
Global Staci 