Getting ready to leave

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Hello there!

Soooo I have 8 days left until I embark on my 6 month long trip to India, Nepal, and Tibet. I’ve never left the country for longer than 3 weeks, and I’ve never traveled completely alone before. What to take what to do who to see… things are definitely starting to blur together in my short amount of time left here. I must get several more vaccines before I leave. I still need to pack and , umm, learn Hindi? The 18 bajillion books I am supposed to read are still sitting on my desk, I think I’ll manage to finish 7 years in Tibet before I leave.
I’ve been planning this trip for 9 months and I’ve wanted to go to India forever. The Himalayas have been distinctively calling to me since sometime in march of last year, this is where Nepal came in. I’ll be teaching English in a Bhuddist monestary for 6 weeks and doing a 14 day trek on the Annapurrna circuit. Tibet will no longer be Tibet by the next time I travel to that area; unfortunately, the culture in this region has been drastically changing. See Tibet before the culture disappears completely! Planes are no longer allowed to fly into Tibet, I’ll be driving over the Himalaya from Nepal to get there.

Short Itinerary:
Dec 26th : depart
Jan 1st: Indian Wedding!
Jan 20th: Indian family heads home… I’ll be on my own!
-→ Head to Dharamshala.
Feb 7th: 10 day silent meditation @ Tushita meditation center
Feb 20th and on: Who knows?! Maybe Rishikesh? Ashrams
April 1st: head to Nepal. 6 weeks teaching English at a Buddhist monastery
May 15th: 10 trip to Tibet
May 25th: 14 day trek Annapurna circuit
July 1st Planning on returning home

My need to travel for this length of time to these regions comes from something much deeper than I can fully explain. My two years at Davis were two of the most stressful, unsettling years I’ve ever had. I’ve never been more confused (post heart break?). I’ve never felt as lost as I did toward the end of my stay in Davis. College definitely got to me. There was something about being in such a densely college populated area where you kind of lose sight of your place in life. Spinning is a great verb to describe what happens to my mind when I’m in school, or in Davis, or in the past? I’m not spinning in Marin. Marin has been quite nice, it’s really easy to detach here. BUT I definitely still feel lost here. So the idea is this: If I travel to a completely different country where nothing is familiar and no one knows me, the only thing I will be able to recognize is my true self, unaffected by the people I’ve merged with here. I will hopefully be able to break the patterns that exist in these schemas that I’ve created. I have broken many of my patterns already; there are several that I’m specifically worried that I won’t be able to break… It’s a really good time to test that in a different country haha.

I met Sukhmani in my psych lab in Davis at our graduation goodbye lunch. When I told her and her best friend Ash that I would be traveling to India, they invited me! I will be staying with them for a little under a month. I am SO EXCITED to be with them. They are amazing and we’ve become really close over the last couple of months. Sukhmani’s sister, Mane (her full name is Mandeep but I was told that Money is how you pronounce her nickname) will be getting married!! So exciting. I’ve been visiting Ash in Stockton as well, she is lending me Saris for the wedding. I’m so fortunate to have this opportunity to see the culture through the eyes of an Indian family, it’s going to be amazing.

I'm including some pictures below of some of the Saris and jewelry that I'll be taking.

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Comments

[Chaya-Ryvka (Thais) Diehl]

This is great!
Bianca, This is AWESOME!!!! I am thrilled for you, and what you say about breaking old patterns, redefining yourself etc., by going to a new place I know very well - and it will be an incredible opportunity for re-self discovery! Dar would be thrilled fro you too, I'm sure she'll be along side - keeping you safe and synchronized with the mystical element of life/spirit and "the journey". SO much love to you, I look forward to seeing you again one of these days. You have really grown into such a gorgeous young woman!!! Love, love, and more love, Thais