In my recent travel questions post, I answered the question, “what is your favorite place in the world thus far?” Some people might be surprised that I didn’t answer Nepal or India in response– especially after being able to visit places like monkey temple.  And the truth is, while Nepal and India weren’t my favorite places in the whole world (thus far)— they did have some of my favorite moments and experiences ever.

And maybe… just maybe… if I did collectively gather each of those favorite moments and bundled them together, these two places could be considered my favorite. but I don’t know. And that wasn’t the question. Am I making sense? Probably not (per usual).

Well… walking up the 365 steps of Swayambhunath, I knew this would be one of more emotional (in the best way) experiences.


A temple for health. A ritual many Nepal’s (and other visitors) take upon themselves for healing blessings. And while I didn’t walk up and down and around in the typical ritual ceremony… and while my health is still delicate, I did feel incredibly blessed to be there. And there with Marlowe and Alex? Half way around the world? In a place so rich in culture and history? Well, I’m not really quite sure how to describe it. The word that comes to mind is ‘luck’.

And whether you believe in luck (I’m not sure I even do), that would be how I could describe it best.

The foggy haze down into the city.


Making friends… sort of. It’s idealistic to imagine a temple visit with all the monkeys running up to you to be your friends. But the reality is more of a scary one. Admire from a distance and not attacked is the goal. Those monkeys are angsty little things for sure. Just like  the monkeys I met in Agra.


Ceremonies.

Crooked  and grainy family photos to remember forever.

Nepal is a place I’ve dreamed about for as long as I can remember. The place I’ve wanted to visit most throughout my life. And while Nepal and I dove head first into a deep and romantic love story, I can say I’m grateful for every moment of my experience there.  My health (and life) journey has been a rocky one for sure.

If I’m being completely blunt, when I was deep in my physical hard times, there were nights I was scared to go to bed, for fear that I wouldn’t  wake up in the morning. I was so scared I wouldn’t get to live out this life. And while this isn’t the path I imagined myself taking, I’m grateful I have any sort of path at all after getting so ill. I’ll take whatever route I can as long as it’s one with my family, friends, and warm moments to remember forever.

Even today, I wonder how long I’ll have to live. I’ve spent my whole life worried that life is too short, but illness knocked that fear so much higher. Everyday I tell myself, twenty more years. Twenty more years is all I need in this world. I mean, I want 50 more years. But if I can pull out a happy and healthy twenty, I’ll feel that have been enough. I just want to have more moments like these. I want to experience it all.

I’m grateful for this one short life. For navigating it how I have. For still being alive through all of it. Breathing it in and exhaling it out when I need to. Life is good. I just hope to always feel alive through it.

And maybe not 50 more years, I’ll take 60. Give me 60 healthy happy years please.

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