Follow the Journey

Namaste family and friends!
We have just arrived in Rishikesh in time for Diwali after an amazing two weeks of exploration in the Himalayas. We started out in Gangtok, the beautiful capital city of Sikkim, at a lovely homestay nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. We spent our mornings taking long uphill walks to the Serenity Home to volunteer with men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. We all developed close connections with the men at the Serenity Home while spending time talking, playing soccer, ultimate frisbee, various board and card games, and other activities that were all in the spirit of maintaining their sobriety. We also took a trip to the beautiful Rumtek Monastery where we observed the chanting of Tibetan Buddhist Monks. After our stay in Gangtok we were off on our trek to Dzongri in West Sikkim. We were greeted by some of the most scenic trails any of us have ever seen. We spent two days ascending and two days descending through the sometimes foggy, sometimes clear, but always gorgeous trails. We enjoyed delicious meals prepared by our guides as we endured the rewarding release of endorphins at the end of each hike. On our last day of ascension we woke up at 4:00 AM to observe a clear view of nearly every star in the sky that would guide us to a lovely peak overlooking glaciers and hills which reflected the sunrise perfectly. The peak was home to several Buddhist prayer flags that were iced over. Our last night camping consisted of a lively exchange of songs and dances with our guides. We returned to the Ejam House to enjoy yet even more delicious meals and a relaxing Halloween night.
Hope all is well in the states!
-Allison