Looking back on my time in Nepal and Sri Lanka

It’s hard to put all the experiences and impressions into words, but in this post I’ll try to gather some moments that stand out and that offer a glimpse into life in Nepal.

One thing I am very grateful for is having the opportunity to live for so long in another country.

The experience you get from living in a place over time is completely different from when you’re just there on a short vacation.

When you’re not in such a rush, you have the chance not only to hurry around trying to catch the highlights, but to actually create an everyday life and get close to the country’s culture in a completely different way.

In addition, you have the opportunity to get to know the people who live there and hear their opinions and about their experiences, which I believe is incredibly important.

I think one of the things that stands out the most to me when I look back on the semester is all the experiences in nature. It might be obvious, but the feeling of being surrounded by some of the world’s highest mountains is absolutely incredible.

Not only do you have the opportunity to seek them out on a hike, but on a clear morning the mountains are also visible in Pokhara. Some of my best memories from Nepal are the time spent trekking.

Not only is it an incredibly cool nature experience, but it’s also super social! Nothing brings people together like sleeping close to each other in a small, cold room high up in the Himalayas.

In addition, you have the option to go rafting and paragliding if you’re up for a bit of adrenaline.

Another thing I’m left with after this semester is the social side, which I would definitely say has been an important part of what has made this semester so great!

Even though almost none of us knew each other beforehand, we’ve become an incredibly good group. It’s a bit crazy to put together a group of nearly 30 strangers in one house, but it has gone so well.

The reason for that, I think, is that we’ve all made the same choice to head out on an adventure, so at least you have that one thing in common.

From class parties, karaoke nights, card games and group outings, it’s the same group you have around you. And when you’re on the other side of the world, far away from family and other friends, it’s incredibly comforting to have a bunch of people around you who understand exactly how you feel.

I can’t list everything we’ve experienced in 12 weeks, because I simply don’t have room for it in a single blog post. There really is something for everyone! Everything from trekking, rafting, yoga retreats, surfing, safaris, and many, many small and large excursions. The list is endless.

It might be a bit of a cliché to say, but there really are so many experiences that have given me memories I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Not only do you get to experience Nepal, but you also have the opportunity to take your exam in Sri Lanka. All students have the chance to live for two weeks in Weligama on the south coast of Sri Lanka at the end of the semester.

I thought it was really cool not only to get to travel to one country, but to experience different cultures over the course of three months. After ten weeks in Nepal, it was so nice to arrive somewhere even warmer, and not least to see the ocean again!

In addition to taking our exams, we got to do so many fun things in Sri Lanka. Weligama is known for being a perfect place to learn how to surf, and almost everyone took advantage of the opportunity.

Even though there was a lot of trial and error, and you got knocked around a bit by the waves, it was a lot of fun and an absolutely incredible feeling of mastery when you managed to do it. It was extra motivating to sit down and get some work done after a few hours of surfing at the start of the day.

There are also many nice cafés in the area where you can work on your exam (I especially recommend Plan B and After Surf Café).

From encounters with new cultures to incredible trips and lots of new friendships – this semester has given me so much.

In addition to the studies themselves, I feel that I’ve learned so much, both about myself and about the world around me. The next trip to Nepal is already in the planning phase, and I’m looking forward to going back. Until then, there’s only one thing left to say: Thank you for now!