Life is Good

I wanted to share some of my thoughts from Nepal before moving onto our new stories from Malaysia. It's amazing how easy it is to change mindsets once you are in a new place, where all the moments you were once living and experiencing, simply become memories. But I had so many thoughts and inspirations from Nepal, that it would be a shame if I didn't express some of them here...

Our trip into the Langtang Valley was an amazing experience in so many ways. While walking through the valley, we had lots of time... countless footsteps surrounded by towering peaks. With this sort of time, your mind can't help but unwind and your thoughts are free to wander. We also had lots of time to talk with the local village people, and often our evenings were filled with long conversations in broken English. Many times, our conversations had moments where the Nepali people were complaining of their lives and the hardships they face. They are poor, they have to work hard every day, the government is corrupt, and they don't have many choices for changing these things.... So, as we walked each day, my mind was often filled with the reality of life in Nepal. Life is very different in the mountains of Nepal, much simpler and in many ways harder. And with each contrast, I am again reminded of my own life.

First off, think of life without cars... Every time you need to get somewhere, you have to walk. Life as we know it in America couldn't exist. In many ways, I think it would be a great life, because I am a firm believer that time spent driving in a car directly correlates with a decrease in the quality of life. But cars are oh so convenient, and it allows us to work across town from where we live, drive to see family in a different town, pick up groceries for dinner, and pretty much get anywhere in a hurry.
In the mountains of Nepal, they have to walk everywhere they go. Many times children will walk hours to get to school each day! People carry all their wares from a village near a road, sometimes many days away. And this includes things like a cast iron wood burning stove, all on some one's back! The result is a totally different lifestyle, slowed down with a lot less stuff. There is something wonderful about walking everywhere, and it's environmentally friendly as well. This is something I think we can all use more of in the US.

Next think about basic things like food and water. When we want water, we turn on the tap and whoosh out comes clean, pure water, in either hot or cold. Do you ever think about how amazing that is? In America our water is cleaned and cleaned again, fluoride and other minerals are added for our health, and we even use this drinking water in our toilets!
In the mountains of Nepal, they get their water from a local river. If it is not near their home, they have to carry it (think of how heavy water is and how much you use a day) and the lucky people have a hose that goes directly from the river to their house. The water comes down from the peaks and is the same stuff people bathe in, wash clothes in, and where all the the rainwater runoff goes. If we drank it, we would get sick instantly because it is so full of bacteria and other organisms. But the people of Nepal are used to it. Unfortunately, many of the trekkers buy bottled water and the result is plastic bottles everywhere!

When we want something to eat, we go to the store, and there in front of us are thousands of different items to choose from. I'm thinking about the number of different kinds of cereal, talk about variety! We can get fresh meats, organic milk, and apples from New Zealand all in the same place. The average piece of food we eat travels 1500 miles to get to our stores, amazing and disturbing! We can pop things in the microwave or turn a switch on the stove and cook up a variety of feasts.
In the mountains of Nepal, most people grow what they can. The crops are usually corn, rice, potatoes, barley, and millet (to make wine). Everything else is carried in, including the Coca Cola you see in even the most remote village. The result is that they eat the same thing every single day, dal bhat! When they want to cook their food, people first have to gather wood by cutting down limbs of trees. You can imagine what this does to the areas that don't have many trees. They carry this back home, along with yak dung in the high mountains and start a fire each time they cook. The result is long cooking times, smoke-filled homes, and a constant hacking cough that all Nepali people seem to have.

Now think about the people you love most in the world. When we ourselves or our loved ones get sick or hurt, we can rush them to the hospital. When someone has a disease, our doctors have the means and the medicine to treat us. We can be treated for everything from pneumonia to cancer! When we have babies, we have proper facilities to take care of us. If there are complications, our doctors are ready to help us.
In the mountains of Nepal, there aren't medical facilities. If someone gets really sick, they have to be carried in a basket to the nearest town. 85% of women have their babies in their homes with only their family to assist. When things get complicated, they have no one to turn to, no one to help. The result is many more deaths, both in childbirth and from common diseases we wouldn't even think could be fatal. Think of this tonight and give someone you love a hug!

And now just think about your life. Our kids have the opportunity to have an education and pretty much do whatever they want with their lives. We are so lucky! We can choose any job we want, and if we don't like it, we can change our jobs. Even young couples can make enough money to have their own homes, and each family can have two cars. We can dream big, and for the most part we can make our dreams happen! Although some may argue with me, we can pretty much trust our government. We have a voice in our government, and the ultimate decision of who runs our country is in our hands. Things work, buses run on time, roads are fixed when they fall apart.... Just stop and think about all the things that work together in our society to create a well-oiled machine!
In Nepal, things are different. There are less choices, less control, less opportunities... Many people's dreams can't become a reality. We heard over and over that people wanted to come to America, but couldn't get a visa. They want opportunity, they want money, they want cars and things.
And there are certainly many lessons we can learn from the Nepali people. Living simply, having a sense of community, being in touch with the earth are just a few... My vote is life without cars! And I think it's important to be grateful for what we do have and not take for granted the ease and comfort of our lives, as well as the opportunities available to us. In so many ways, we are very lucky people!

I also wanted to wish a Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!!!! We are so grateful for all of you in our lives and we are missing you during the holidays. More than ever, we are realizing that the holidays are about being with family, not about things or presents. I'm using this time to be thankful for what I do have and for the blessings in my life. We will be treating ourselves to a full Christmas dinner with turkey and all the works! We're so glad to be sharing it with Ben and Casey in their lovely home here in Malaysia. We'll be thinking of all of you back home!

Erin