Sanjeev Dahal, our fearless leader

On February 11, two weeks after our arrival, our students came bumping back into town from their rural placements. For some, it was an all-day journey back into Kathmandu. The next day, we all boarded our little maroon bus, and headed up to Balthali Village Resort. We left the bus in a village down below and most of us opted to hike about an hour up to the beautiful resort where we were greeted with lunch, great views of the Himalayas to the north, and clean air. 

We had some good discussions together reflecting on our work and our learning so far. With facilitation assistance from Hillary Bernhardt, a staff member for the Chelsea Center, we explored what it means to volunteer; what students can offer and what they receive; how to meet “need” in the midst of different value systems; how students’ positionality and privilege shape their encounters and much more. Our discussions were rich, insightful and broad-ranging, demonstrating learning on many different levels.

We also had a yoga class from Yogi Arya whose ashram is near the Pashupathinath complex in Kathmandu. His form of teaching was very different from what we experience in our yoga classes on campus. 

And mostly, we got to enjoy being together in an incredibly beautiful place. The next day we stopped to visit a Shiva sculpture, and then descended into dusty Kathmandu. Students again went out to either the same or new placements for the second half of our stay.