Summer Service Program in Nepal | Putney Student Travel

I had pretty high expectations for the trip, but at the same time I had no sense of what to expect from the country and the program. The trip exceeded every one of my wildest expectations and was the best three weeks of my life. My greatest sense of accomplishment came from the physical demands of the trip and how I worked hard with those. Our community service was a lot of hard labor, and we also embarked on a trek. My ability to do these things filled me with pride. I took so much away from the trip: a better sense of my own potential, newfound strength, gratitude, and trust in myself and others. Every moment of my trip was incredible- there wasn't a single part I wouldn't do again. The highlight was probably getting to know and care for all the others on my trip. I had an amazing set of students and leaders. I think we could've maybe done a little bit more community sevice, but at the same time I don't think it would be worth losing any of the cultural experiences and time spent with the community. A good balance was struck that gave us the best possible experience.

My expectations for the program were well exceeded. I was very excited for the trip so I had been reading the itinerary over and over again most days. But to my delight the program included much more opportunities than I imagined. For example it was an honor working with the Small World. They are an amazing organization with a great mission and they organized so much for us. Also on our trek, we trekked on the Lower Everest Trail, which surprised me because I couldn't believe the trail eventually led to Base Camp. Finally we had the opportunity to meet two artists in Kathmandu; it turns out they were two of the most well-recognized artists in all of Nepal. I am very impressed by Putney's ability to organize such meaningful opportunities for all of us. The greatest sense of accomplishment for me was the connections I made. Everyone from the Small World was so welcoming and helpful towards us. Also it was great bonding with the students at White Hills, the school where we did community service, through playing soccer, teaching a class, and performing dances. It made me happy seeing how excited they were to see us everyday and it feels great knowing that if and when I go back to Nepal, I'll know I have connections. One of the main highlights has to be my group. I've made amazing friendships thanks to the program. The trip wouldn't have been the same without everyone who was there. I loved everything we did in Nepal, so I would say experiencing the various cultures in Nepal was a big highlight for me. This was my first time traveling outside of the United States, but experiencing and learning about other cultures has still always been one of the most fascinating things for me. The day we spent in Taksindu, on the trek, was a very memorable day for me because we had a lesson on Buddhism at the local monastery from a monk, I had the opportunity to visit and ask questions to an elderly monk at his house, and finally that evening we sat in on a puja ceremony. It was so interesting learning about Buddhism through first hand experiences. Seeing the ways of life of everyone we saw in Nepal has influenced me because I now feel more inspired to make my own lifestyle changes. It certainly did. I would have felt a little bit more accomplished if we had down more construction, as mentioned above, but I wouldn't want that to take away from the other activities we did like visit the Tibetan Refugee Camp, or attend the Saturday bazaar. Also our trek was three days of trekking, with one day of rest in Taksindu, I would say this was a perfect balance for us as a group.

I believe this trip exceeded all expectations I had for the program. I assumed the trip would be meaningful and I'd make new friends over the course of the program, but I never would have thought it would have been so heartbreaking to leave my new friends, both those living in Nepal and the other students on the program. Additionally, it was heartbreaking simply to leave Nepal, the place I had called home for the past 3 weeks. It was definitely the most profound experience I have ever had in my life. My greatest sense of accomplishment came on the final day of our stay in Salleri, where the students at the school we were completing our service at exchanged a final ceremony with us. Over the course of the two weeks we had been in the village, those students had come to learn my name from my being in their classrooms and seeing them around. As we were giving a dance for the students, they chanted my name. I felt accomplished in the sense that I had made a significant impact on these students lives, even though I thought I hadn't. I would love to say everything about the trip was a highlight, but instead I shall share a few. One highlight of the trip was meeting part of the group at the airport hotel and meeting the rest in JFK the next morning. I thought it was going to be awkward meeting the other group members--people who I had never met before, who were diverse in customs, lifestyles, and interests. Yet those first moments in the hotel we sat together playing cards with another Putney group going to the Dominican Republic, sharing our lives and just talking. It relieved what stress I had about our group. I will always remember that moment in the JFK airport hotel. Another highlight was the first moment we actually stepped into Kathmandu, and we went to a Stupa together. That experience has transcended any other cultural experiences I have ever felt before. It was so amazing seeing all the people who live, work, and practice Buddhism near the Stupa. I also remember not seeing any other white or American tour groups, which added to the authenticity of the experience, because it made it clear these people aren't only catering to tourists. And another highlight was the opening ceremony the girls at the hostel we stayed at gave for us, where they performed traditional Nepali dances and sang songs. These performances signified their greatfulness towards us for coming and helping them and their community. It was a heartwarming welcome to the village. I think there was a great balance of cultural exploration, hands-on community service, and adventure. I wish we had more time to prepare final group projects, as I thought they would have been so interesting to see with a little more time to prepare.