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This experience was almost 2 years ago, but I still think about it almost daily.

THE PLACE: Nepal is such a beautiful country! It has a variety of landscapes/altitudes to explore. For the orientation portion, we stayed in Kathmandu. We met with all the volunteers and stayed in a nice hostel located in Thamel - the tourist region of the country's capital. Once we all got our volunteer and homestay assignments, we all bused out to various regions. I went to Pokhara - a mountainous town with stunning views of Anna Purna. There are lots of tourists here, mainly trekkers, and the air is much cleaner than Kathmandu. The town is nestled on a large lake - Lake Phewa. I was up in the hills of Sarangkot, a sweet little village with absolutely amazing views. This neighborhood is famous for paragliding - which was so fun!!
Once I returned home from my trip, I realized that there are a surprising amount of people in the world who know very little about the country and its geographical location. Everyone should visit Nepal.

THE PEOPLE: Nepal is a very spiritual country. There are many monasteries located throughout the country and the air smells of incense constantly. The people are so connected to the country, each other, and they are so eager to help. Specifically, my homestay family in Nepal made me feel like family. I really enjoyed getting to spend time with them every day, trying to translate and learn about each other.

THE STAFF: The IVHQ staff in Nepal were all local people, passionate about helping their country. You could tell that they loved their jobs and were proud of what they were doing. They made the process easy and made you feel safe. I still keep in touch with Rajesh - the most amazing staff member that lead us through orientation.

EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK: You MUST do this. I can't recommend doing this trek enough. If you do go, please request Nabin or Basanta be your guide. This was the best experience of my life thus far!