Beginnings & Endings.

        Everything has an end. Sometimes the endings come too fast, and sometimes they can’t come fast enough. Every story has more than an end; it has many more moments that come before. For my story, the prologue began months ago, and the first chapter has just begun. A few months ago, I received a phone call that I had been anticipating. This particular phone call was about a trip that was going to change my life. During this call, I was told that I had been accepted into Children’s Global Alliance and would be traveling to Nepal. I would have started to cry because I was so overjoyed, but my best friend was staring me down, grinning because he knew the huge opportunity I had just been given, as he had traveled with Children’s Global Alliance the past year.
     The start to this one-of-a-kind experience has been unbelievable. The temples we visited on our day off were the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. There were prayer flags everywhere I looked, and I couldn’t move without seeing them tied to a temple swaying in the wind. With each turn, there was a new smell and a new palette of colors. It amazed me that the people who helped restore the temples after the earthquake in 2015 were the parents of the kids that I teach. The golden domes that adorned the temples reminded me of the glimmer in my student’s eyes when they learn a new concept or get a question right.
     I’ve had opportunities every day of my life, which is something I’m incredibly grateful for. Before this trip, I didn’t realize how much of a privilege clean, cold water is. Even being able to splash water on my face in the morning to wake up is such a blessing. There is very little drinkable water here for the local people, which has helped me realize how often I take clean water for granted.
     Everything has an end, but everything also has a beginning. The beginning of this trip has opened my eyes, and I see the world differently because of it. I now see that even after years have gone by, places like Bhaktapur are still shaken. I see how heavy the burden that the people carry is, but I also see their smiles and endless amounts of love. I know I will never look at things the same, and I’m forever grateful.