Passage International

Since my time with Passage, I've returned to Kathmandu twice, for a total of six more months- something that would have been much more difficult had I not had my initial Passage experience to build on. The Passage staff was extremely resourceful and flexible. With everything from reading recommendations and tips on local music venues to advice on trekking, I found Passage to provide me with an invaluable local perspective that entirely enhanced my Nepal experience.

When my daughter said she and her best friend wanted to go to Nepal and Tibet, I was initially hoping they would change their minds. There seemed to be too many unknowns, which translate into fears in the heart of a parent. I was so relieved when Loy and Leah found Passage Project (now Passage International). To know there would be a group of people who would give them the most authentic, safe experience possible gave me incredible relief. The experience that Passage Project provided changed Loy in a deep and profound way. She has always been a compassionate person; however she has grown up in America. The experience of seeing people who have not had the advantages and privileges the American lifestyle provides deepened her compassion even more. Seeing her photos, reading her journals, and listening to her talk about her experiences fills me with pride - to know she had the courage to take the journey and embrace this part of the world. Being side by side with people from other cultures not only changes the traveler, but it creates a ripple effect, which inspires the world to change as well. Thank you!

We just will never be able to thank you for the 'kindness of strangers.' You will forever hold a special place in our hearts and we will keep in touch. There really are no words to express my amazement and gratitude for the things you are doing on behalf of Keenan and her memory. We know that Keenan, most of all, feels the love and caring that all of you have given her. You were all her home away from home, her family away from family, and she loved all of you with all her heart which was the only way that Keenan knew how to love. Through the Passage Program our daughter grew in ways she never would have. She experienced the tutelage of a learned doctor, lived in the home of a nurturing Tibetan family, and was wrapped in the arms of the spiritual Nepalese people. The program also provided a reflective environment, away from the Western culture, where she had the opportunity to find her inner balance. The Personal Passage is a wonderful experience.

Both Leah and I felt incredibly blessed to have the experience to talk with and learn from Amchi (Doctor) Lopsang at the Shelkar Institute in Boudha. We found ourselves not only learning about the foundations of Tibetan medicine, but also being able to discuss with the Amchi about how the medical situation has changed in Tibet since the Chinese occupation, as well as his more personal memories of and experiences in Tibet. Each day we were greeted by his kindness, offered warm tea, and found ourselves in the presence of a wonderful teacher and new friend as we escaped the monsoon and entered into the institute filled with the aroma of medicinal plants. While the students at the institute study for seven years to become Tibetan doctors, Leah and I were still able to get a small glimpse into the basics of Tibetan medicine.

The Nepali language class especially had my head spinning the first two weeks. The teacher was very, very good. I liked his props, and, how he tried to make the class both interesting and very relevant. He was also flexible about his teaching style, trying to make it fit to my learning style.

The Personal Passage in Nepal was most definitely a worthwhile experience. It exceeded my expectations. Passage found me a volunteer/internship situation, which no other programs in Nepal could do. My language lessons and home stay were wonderful. Sometimes the home stay were frustrating because my host parents would worry about me being out until 8:30 PM (!) or going off to hike or run alone, etc. I came to Nepal to get away from a part of that. But this mostly came from me being a cliché teenager with authority issues. It was actually a good learning experience - they genuinely cared for me and I had to see it as care and not as blind paternal power assertion. I have been very happy with everything Passage found for me. Everything has been great here. Passage has given me a trip of a lifetime out of this gap year. I can't wait to get home and talk to some of my younger friends from high school about it. I'm also planning on asking my old high school if I can do a short demonstration on gap year and what I did during my gap year and about Passage.

I absolutely would recommend the program to other students. I don't particularly enjoy being a tourist - I don't do the tourist thing, I move to the place instead. Passage gave me a home and a support structure, and I was able to LIVE in Nepal, rather than feeling like a perpetual visitor. I really enjoyed living in Nepal, and it was made so much easier by having everything in place, waiting for me. I also enjoyed having freedom to do what interested me, but to have someone to go to with questions or for advice.

Passage Project helped me learn how to live in Kathmandu. It provided me with a home stay, and ample volunteer opportunities. Moreover, as a participant in the individual passage program, I was able to work at my own speed and pursue my own interests without being constricted to the schedule of a group program. Passage was particularly flexible and resourceful when helping me to find learning and volunteer opportunities. Furthermore, it allowed me to adjust my ideas and interests as they changed during my stay. The Passage staff was extremely resourceful and flexible. With everything from reading recommendations and tips on local music venues to advice on trekking, I found Passage to provide me with an invaluable local perspective that entirely enhanced my Nepal experience. The Passage experience has been truly worthwhile for me both personally and intellectually. The design of the program enables students with the right balance of consistency and independence that is so important when one experiences such a different culture/ environment.

The coordinator went above and beyond the call of duty. He did a great job handling the group especially in difficult situations. He made sacrifices for the betterment of the group many times and knew exactly what to do in any situation. He understood my interests very clearly and set me up with a home stay family he knew I would enjoy. My interest was in art and the head of my family was a thangka painter. Also during monastery visits he took time to explain the creation and meaning of the art depicted within the monastery walls. The coordinator, early on, made it very easy to feel comfortable around him - which proved to be a key element to the success of the group.

I thought the program was coordinated very well, and I had a world of resources and information at my disposal just by picking my coordinator's brain on any of the topics that we were studying (and some that we were not). I came to Kathmandu with few expectations and the program greatly surpassed them. I feel that I accomplished so much in such a short period of time, and was able to meet so many interesting people along the way. It is difficult to designate just one most valuable aspect of the program, but I will have to say the trekking was something so new and refreshing for me. It definitely made me realize that there are plenty of things that I still have yet to try so I wouldn't have given that up for anything.

I received adequate support and advising from the on-site program staff with arranging dates and sorting ticket issues; everything very well set up but with flexibility to adapt during the trip.

I picked up a lot of language very quickly and that really has most to do with the almost daily classes. This was absolutely worthwhile as it helped immensely in getting around, ordering food, etc. and in general people I met were extremely pleased when they found out that I could speak a little nepali (albeit poorly).