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 Pooh 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.
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