Prepared... Mentally & Physically

 The days are passing by so fast. I only have a few things left to do to be be ready to leave. I have packed, unpacked, repacked multiple times to see how things fit best in my two large duffel bags. I am taking a third carry-on size that will have everything I will need in Istanbul. Since I have had a change in my teaching assignments I took out some of the books and supplies I was going to take. The monasteries where I will be are better supplied than the one is in Salleri. I also needed a bit more space for additional warm weather clothes, Pokhara and Kathmandu are quite a bit warmer than it is in Salleri so I found I needed more tee's and light weight clothes. 

I have hotels and a few tours booked for my time in both Istanbul and South Korea. I may add an additional day trip out of Seoul, but it will be a last minute decision depending on how filled my days are and the weather. While I am hoping to see some snow while there a mild day would be nice to get out and do some hiking in the hills around Seoul.

I have not heard yet which monasteries I will be teaching at in Pokhara or Kathmandu. I may not know until I arrive. I have kept an open mind about needing to be able to be spontaneous on this trip and not to have every moment planned. It is really the best way to avoid disappointment. Letting myself relax and just let things go where they will does reduce the stress and anxiety which has often plagued me when I travel. Quiet meditation, deep breaths, and just staying in the moment has kept a smile on my face and has not led to any sleepless nights. I hope to get the opportunity to practice meditation with the monks and to become more mindful and better disciplined in living in the present.

Getting mentally prepared for this adventure has been a focus of late,  the physical workouts of course continue. I have increased the number of steps on the stair-master and have been working on improving my cardio with longer faster workouts on the treadmill. I also wear a weighted vest 4 of the 5 days I workout. Once I arrive in Nepal I won't have a gym to go to. I will rely on daily hikes and finding staircases (which won't be an issue as all four of the possible monasteries are on hills with lots of steps). I will really need to be push myself so I can be prepared for the Poon Hill Trek. There is a segment that is over 3000 stair-steps up the mountain. That is 300 more than the Manitou Incline which I did in 2024 & 2025. Luckily the Poon Hill steps aren't as steep. 

This will all be worth it. 

Just when you think....

 Plans are all made, packing has started, nearing the final countdown. So, just when you think all is good to go... life has a way of saying wait a minute, I have a different plan for you.

First up was on Tuesday, I had an email from Korean Airlines. My flight from Kathmandu to South Korea was rescheduled from the Saturday to the Friday (day before). Korean air only flies between the two cities a few days a week and they are changing the days. Luckily I have plenty of spare days in Kathmandu that this probably worked out better as I will enjoy the extra day in Seoul. I just needed to add an earlier arrival day at my lodging in Seoul. No problems there so it was nothing stressful. 

Wednesday though came the bad news. I had an email from the volunteer organization that I would be working with. The monastery in Salleri was going to be closed for most of the time I was scheduled to be there. The monks are all headed to a different monastery for a prayer retreat. I would have to teach at another location. Unfortunately they have nothing else in the mountains. There are two monasteries just outside of Kathmandu and two in Pokhara. One of the monasteries near Kathmandu is a nunnery. So I have spent my days trying to research these places and trying to communicate via email (difficult with the 11 hour time difference). I am waiting on a reply from my recent email before I make a final decision. What we are planning is splitting the assignment between half at the Monastery in Pokhara and the other half near Kathmandu. Since I will be in Pokhara I plan on hiking the Poon Hill Trek and going to Chitwan during the Dashain Festival in October. I would then return to Kathmandu to teach and then trek to EBC in November which I preferred over the October dates I was going to do.

All three of these monsteries are much larger than the one in Salleri and are in more heavily populated areas. They are also in milder climates at lower elevations. This has me changing my packing list to include a selection of lighter weight clothing. I am taking a positive view of this though as it will mean I will have better cell phone and internet access. I will also be able to withdraw money at ATM's that actually work (they rarely work in Salleri). Pokhara has a lot of activities as it is a tourist hub. I hope maybe to go on a zip-line while there. and of course boating on the beautiful lake that city borders. 

I am of course disappointed that I will not be in Salleri. It was one of the reasons I chose this organization. They have been very apologetic and are doing their best to place me in a peaceful setting that will be a meaningful experience for myself and my students. Right now I am leaning towards the Nunnery near Kathmandu as I watched a YouTube video about it. It did look very peaceful and is a beautiful monastery. 

Workouts have been pretty much focused on maintenance again. I am wearing the weighted vest every day now. I do need to get my stair-steps count up from the 1000 steps I am currently doing. Time is running out so I really need to start pushing myself.