Six months as an ESC volunteer at WHR flew by so fast, yet the memories I’ve gathered feel like a lifetime’s worth of experiences.

I’ll greatly miss the simple moments of my daily life here: having my favorite milk tea served at the office, enjoying selroti for breakfast, passing by the beautiful Hindu temples, watching the Jamchen Vijaya Stupa on the Budhanilkantha Hill from my window, or just greeting everyone with the namaste gesture – a habit that I will definitely struggle to leave behind back home in Greece.

I will definitely miss my time at WHR, being at the office working in the communication department around such friendly and kind people. I am really glad that I discovered the WHR initiatives and got to see so many people working for the same goal in different parts of the country.

Through my stay in Nepal, my eyes opened to the world, and I experienced things that will stay in my mind forever. From witnessing the subtropical landscapes of Chitwan, participating in traditional ceremonies to trekking in the cold Langtang valley and talking with local young people about their life in such a raw and remote setting at 4000 meters. I know there will be moments back home, such as being stuck in the crowded metro of Athens, when my mind will drift back to that valley and its people.

I really want to express my gratitude to each and everyone who made this experience special: from my colleagues in WHR, the Adice supporting organization to that Buddhist monk with whom I shared philosophical conversations, or even the local Gurung child in the Annapurna region who allowed me to capture a photograph.

I wish that WHR will keep growing and its team will continue its impactful and amazing work. I really hope to be lucky sometime in the future to come back and witness it all again.

Goodbye, Nepal, with lots of love,
Maria