Kate Heffernan

A note from Julia! xoxoox

addh:

Hi mom,

We got here 3 days ago which seems like AGES.  This is the first time I have been able to use the internet since arriving because it is few and far between.  We are staying in the Bhaktapur Guest House right now (although we leave tomorrow for the trek).  It is so beautiful.  And we have hot water for showers!  We have mostly just been doing orientation stuff with the group leaders and learning about what the rest of the trip is going to be like.  We had our first Nepali class yesterday and it was pretty fun.  The teacher’s name is Rajesh (we call him Rajesh-Di, which means older brother).  It is cool the way he teaches because it is all about being able to speak it and less so about writing it.  Lots of repetition and in unison speaking.  He also only speaks in Nepali during class which is cool.  It is actually a very simple language even though it sounds so complicated.  I can say my name is Julia (mero naam Julia ho) and my home is new york (mero ghar New York ma ho) and other simple things like that.  Yesterday morning we hiked to a Hindu temple and watched the people doing prayers and talked to one of the priests.  He kept saying we made him very happy.  We got lost on the tiny little paths winding through the rice patties and corn fields but a little girl gave us directions back to the Guest House.  The instructors are awesome.  Shannon is my main one, like an advisor.  I think I am going to do my independent study on Thangka paintings.  
We leave tomorrow morning for our trek in the Dolpo mountains, which very few people have ever been to.  After 16 days of that we are going to the Kopan monastary for 10 days.  I probably wont be able to email you during this, but know I am thinking of you always.  I miss you guys a lot but if I try not to think about it I am OK.  I am having a lot of fun going to bed at 8 and waking up at 5 (early in the morning you can see the Himalaya in the distance, pretty epic, I’d say).  
I love you so much.  Let everyone know I am doing well.  Forward this email to whoever!

Julia

so good to finally hear from julia. this trip sounds amazing already.