happy

Lessons Learned | How not to nap

Yesterday, I didn’t learn to nap.

I tried, but I just didn’t work out well.

I did learn about Lobster though so that’s something.

Happy Fall and happy anniversary to TT and Juju! (* I don’t know what number this is, but thanks for loving each other this long and for loving your four kiddos a lot. I like you both very, very much!)

Celebrating fall this way –>

Essentially, I’m just ready for it all.

And for this season of rich colors, cool rain, and sweaters.

Plus:

+ Watch. A gorgeous film by the talented Mr. Bill Pappas.

+ See. Hitchcock-inspired photos by Nicola Kuperus.

+ Listen. Quitter’s Raga.

[Photos: Night at the foot of the Himalayas, Nepal//Grace Farson]

Enjoying this story

I know that all I can write about these days is the rain, but it is amazing how much it influences life here.

This morning I woke up early to the sound of the rain and rolled over and easily slept through my alarm. Once I woke up to stay awake, I sat at the table and thought//read//wrote and downed some tea. I wrote a lot this morning about how I could stay. I could stay here and live like this for a very long time.

I’m enjoying the story I’m living here. I find that I more than enjoy this pace of life. It suits me well and I know I will never really leave this place behind. I feel certain that I’ll be back again one of these days.

My time here is coming close to an end and I find that I’ve spent a good deal of time lately trying to savor everything as if it was my first time.

[Photo: New territory. Across the bridge, Letang//Grace Farson]

Kathmandu. First night back

Back.

Kathmandu.

Nepal.

LOVE.

The moment I saw the first glimpse of a snowy mountain from the airplane, I knew part of me was going back home. It was the third time I’d flown from Delhi to Kathmandu, and I’d forgotten how tremendous the landscape is here! Here in this entirely special, tiny, sacred country.

I landed and embraced the calmer, cleaner, cooler air. I couldn’t stop smiling and nothing could have disrupted my good mood (*not even the troubles I faced in getting my visa. I landed without the right amount of money in USD because there was no working ATM after security in Delhi and the ATM machine was broken in Tribhuvan airport when I arrived, so. . . I somehow managed to convince the kind money exchange worker to exchange my Indian rupees to USD *even though 1,000 and 500 rupee notes are illegal now in Nepal! He was so kind that he even offered to loan me USD in the hopes that I came back in a week and gave it back to him! Amazing offer and outstanding kindness, but. . . I opted for a 30-day visa *all that my money could get me and will have to go get an extension later this week).

That aside, I victoriously walked out of the airport and felt perfectly at home and comfortable driving back to the place I love and know so well. Few things have changed. There are a few newly painted walls, a recently burnt down building, and a bit more garbage, but other than that, it all feels familiar and right.

Hugs, a shower, and then dinner at Niti and Sanjiv’s place followed. Beautiful view//whiskey//homemade buff momos//soup//good conversations//Nepali lessons.

I slept soundly and woke up early to do yoga on the roof. This roof.

Right now, it is all a sort of happiness and excitement that makes me feel that I could crack, and crack into a thousand small pieces.

I never want to leave this place, but unlike last time, I know that I have a lot to go back home to as well. There are many people to share life with here, but I am confident the same exists back home too. I have a lot to look forward to now and the future, here and there. People to love here. People to love back home.

[Photos: First night back in Kathmandu//Grace Farson]

Ten

I found this list today from a little over a year ago:

1.) CALM down

2.) find a new job

3.) write letters and mail them

4.) change voice mailbox message

5.) apply for grants to Indonesia

6.) run

7.) climb

8.) finish videos for TedX conference

9.) visit Abbey Court

10.) taxes?

I love finding pieces of what life looked like last year and the years before. And the thing I love the most is knowing that i accomplished all of those pieces in time. I went on to get not one, but two new jobs, I went to Indonesia on a grant, ran a few miles, climbed with friends, went to Abbey Court, did videos for TedX, etc. and at the time, this little list of ten things was a challenge.

My list these days is sadly quite similar. I’m still trying to find grants to travel, I’m trying to keep the job I do have when I get back in the fall, I’m running, I’m wishing I was spending more time climbing, taxes still stress me out, and there is always a stack of letters by my bed waiting to be mailed. . .

This semester is getting so close to the END and I’m both excited and sad. The past few weeks have been great overall. So good in fact, I never want it to end.

Take for example this weekend. . .

This weekend was epic. It all left my body feeling incredibly broken, sore, and used. My feet don’t really work, they’re cracked and still caked with mud.

That said, I also didn’t know it was possible to laugh as much as I did.

Sam came in town Friday with a basket of black lights and a massive speaker//sound system. The Tiger House hosted a fantastic Universe party! (Goal check) Glitter, good music, Ziggy Stardust-inspired face paint and even roller-blades! All I could ever ask for really.

On Saturday, I woke up at 5:45 and decided it was a good day to run the Chapel Hill ten-miler with Ora (*Almost exactly a year ago since the last big ten). Our last-minute decision was incredibly rewarding and actually quite fun (esp. the thrill of benefiting from a race without paying for it. Sorry world, I just wanted to see if it was possible). By that afternoon, I was volunteering in a tent painting little kiddo’s faces at Shakori grassroots festival and dancing around a fire to drums with Ora, Will, Jordan, Sarah and Cassie.

We danced, hula hooped, and then danced some more until the late hours. Everywhere we went we danced, we didn’t use our feet to walk, we just danced and floated through life.

It all left my whole being so incredibly happy.

A nice nap (*another goal) on Sunday was followed by a lovely dinner with Ma-Maw and Da-Dan and a lot of solo car time to think too. . .

I could have asked for nothing more this weekend.

It filled me.

[Photos: Shakori last time around. Fall festival days 2012. *Only brought my AE-1 this time around//Grace Farson]