Dear Zach,
This trip was a big step for you. You saw, heard, tasted, smelled, and felt a lot of new things. It was like being a baby again. Except now you are a bearded semi-adult half a world away from your family with no one to hold your hand. It was amazing to say the least.
You also learned a lot more than you thought you would. You used to silently shake your head at the kids who emotionally declared that the Nepal trip had changed their lives. Now you sort of understand where they are coming from. It was an eye-opener. Let’s quickly review some of the things we realized:
1) The world is really big and you’ve seen a lot less of it than you thought you had. You should really visit Asia again and the Middle East and Africa are also on that list. Start saving money now for the next trip.
2) Life is really hard for millions, probably billions of people around the world. I knew that before the trip, but only after coming back do I think I finally understand what that means in contrast with my own life. The concept of a 3rd world country has a concrete definition in my head now that I cannot forget, and it’s something that I think is going to impact me for the rest of my life.
3) Quality of life is a very important concept for you after this trip. I think it is valuable to consider at all times, both when examining your own life and the lives of others. There are certain human rights—education, access to water, food, and shelter—that are not being met for probably billions of people. It’s important to consider how you can help change that throughout your life.
4) Speaking of, you though a lot about your career/future during the trip, especially while in Chaksibote and Hetauda. You aren’t sure you necessarily want to work at a safe home or even in Peace Corps, but you want to dedicate my education and profession to something that can help change the lives of people like the girls in the safe home or the hundreds of other underprivileged people we met in Nepal.
5) Seeing so many people without basic access to things like clean water and schooling makes you think about the variety of opportunities you have access to. College is a big one coming up, and Nepal has made you consider if majoring in industrial design is the right thing to do. Would getting a masters in teaching be more responsible or helpful? Am I doing the right thing by pursuing design? In what ways can I use an I.D. degree to help people half way across the world? These questions are very relevant to you. Nepal has changed my perspective completely, and it’s causing you to reevaluate certain things. Not that that’s a bad thing at all.
There is a lot of soul-searching going on in the wake of this trip. That’s what happens when you take a bunch of American teenagers to Nepal for a few weeks. It’s a refreshing reexamination of our values and passions. You and everyone else on this trip came back thinking new thoughts and considering the future with a different mindset. So as we wait to hear back from colleges and finish off your last year of high school, take time to think about all these questions you’ve got milling about. Maybe even talk to some of the other students about it. Maybe even some adults if you’re feeling brave. But in any case, I think it’s important to keep all this in consideration as you start picking which direction to head in. Good luck in any case, I hope it all works out and you meet all the right people. Keep traveling and doing cool stuff.
Two thumbs up,
Zach