Dwti Draig

2013 was a big year for me. For years I had yearned to have an adventure of my own. I was very conscious that I had never really done anything “by myself”. All my adventures had either been with Lyn, our family or friends. I really felt the need to challenge myself and see what I was capable of. Of course this was all a very safe fantasy; I didn’t really believe I would have the opportunity to do something like that anytime soon. All of a sudden my fantasy had become reality; Lyn had said the magic words “go on then, you’ve always wanted to do it; make it happen!” It was time to google the infamous words “volunteering in a Bhuddist monastery in Nepal”!

Yes, Nepal. It hadn’t actually always been Nepal; it was originally Tibet, but Tibet looked a bit harder to get to so Nepal quickly became a very firm second choice that I was more than happy with. I knew I wanted to teach English in a Bhuddist monastery so I found a volunteering agency that could help me with this, and quickly applied before either a) Lyn changed his mind, or b) I lost my nerve!

I remember vividly when the email came through; I was in school and almost too frightened to look. I had been accepted and had been placed in the Khawalung Monastery in Kathmandu. OMG! A quick google showed the most amazing building. It looked like this was really happening!

The trip to Nepal was life changing in so many ways. It taught me I had the courage and confidence to actually do something different. It taught me to respect another culture and appreciate my own. It taught me that I am far braver than I thought, and things I thought I feared I actually loved. It taught me that I can make a difference in someone else’s life. It taught me so much more. 

I debated which way to share my original blog posts. Should I rewrite them with the benefit of hindsight or let them stand as they were written originally. I have decided to let them stand as they were, with some slight editing, as they reflect the emotions and feelings I had at the time.  I hope you enjoy it; I honestly think it was a seminal changing point in my life and I am always grateful I had the opportunity to do it. 

I hope you enjoy reading.