by Kaleigh McFall
We started off each morning with a PE class which involved walking around campus or local parks. The purpose of these walks was to help prepare us physically and mentally for the trekking we are going to be embarking on in Nepal. Within the first couple weeks of the semester, our walks consisted of just normal walking with the group. Our two main trails were the path behind Sylvester House down to Elsah and the road to Ellestoun. Chris gave us many pieces of advice throughout these walks about trekking in Nepal and what to expect. He checked in with each of us and made sure we were wearing hiking boots that we’d already had experience in.
Our visitors from Nepal, Nikki and Bhagwati, joined us for several of these morning walks and this was an amazing opportunity for us to visit with them. During the third and fourth week of our on-campus section of the abroad program, we changed gears a bit by taking a trip to La Vista Park in Alton. This park had a huge hill which was useful in stimulating what trekking up Nepali mountains will feel like. These walks generated multiple benefits for our group as we were becoming more adept to what trekking will feel like in Nepal and gave opportunity for our group to break the ice and have incredible and fun conversations. Several group members even made their own treks within the woods surrounding the paths we took.
During the fourth week of class, we began to take our trekking backpacks with us. We learned how to pack it so we wouldn’t feel the weight as much while trekking. Something that was important for us to understand was that the waist strap was essential as it created less muscle strain on our shoulders. After each morning walk, we had a group MET which generated inspiration and spiritual upliftment for what activities lied ahead for us each day. When mornings were way too cold and icy for walking, other activities we took part in were yoga and basketball.
What I personally believe was the most fun part of our four week on-campus portion of the abroad program was having Nikki and Bhagwati here. They were two Nepali women who were a part of a trekking company called, “3 Sisters”. Nikki is one of the three sisters who started the company and Bhagwati is employed as a trekking guide for the company. They joined us for our morning walks, classes, meals, and off campus excursions on the weekends. They served a Nepali style meal for us and then showed our group how to make the meal two different times after. Having them with us on campus was such an amazing opportunity. Their stories, backgrounds, and insights on Indian and Nepali culture have been extremely helpful during our first few days within India. I am finding that I miss them a lot as they left for Nepal before we left for India and we won’t be seeing them again until we begin our trek in Nepal.
I am missing them a lot now that we are in India without them as they were with our group from the start and became such a special and important part of our group dynamic. Their stories have provided much more context for what I am experiencing here in India. I feel my perspective would have been less developed in terms of understanding cultural values without their help and for that reason and many more, I am so grateful to have met them and have them be a part of my abroad experience.