RYI STUDENT BLOG

“The happiest man is he who learns from nature the lesson of worship” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Often, when a person settles in a location, one eventually becomes accustomed to his or her surroundings and can easily become complacent. I am grateful to reflect that, after almost three years living in Nepal, I still carry the same sense of awe that I had when I first arrived. On more than one occasion, I have walked down any road in Boudha with a friend or a colleague and wondered how strange and incredible it is that I (or we) landed here. This sense of awe is especially apparent when I walk with somebody who has never seen Boudha or Nepal before, for through fresh eyes can we revitalize our experience of the world. Life in Nepal provides a number of opportunities for students, but the most promising of those opportunities are the people we meet and the places we go to find inspiration. At RYI, we have a supportive community, and have the opportunity to work closely with...

Dear friends, On my last break from school I headed to a valley in north Nepal, close to the border with Tibet, called Langtang Valley. From the beginning I knew this trek was going to be different than all my other wanders in the mountains. I won't say much about the breathtaking view in this valley, or about the peaceful, kind character of the people living in the high mountains. But I do want to tell you about the little kids living there. While traveling there I noticed that many of the young kids of the villages stay at home throughout the day, something that forced their parents to divide their time between their demanding jobs and housework and the demands of child care. I wondered what the reason was that the kids stay at home all day, every day. After some talks with the local Tibetan people I found out that there is no school in the upper part of the valley. So the kids are facing three options: attend the closest school (which is two days walking distan...