I don't know how... but my life has become a series of adventures I have only dreamed of... and it's surrounded by coffee. I don't think it's intentional... but I feel I frequent local cafes and coffee shops anywhere I travel... even if it's down the street. You can pick up on the vibe... of where you're at through the build of a cafe, the people that walk through the doors... the selection, the taste of the coffees they serve. You can pick up on the smiles behind the counter of those taking your order... and the conversations being shared. Wether, it's in an airport or tiny cafe crammed between old buildings in an ancient city, there is always a vibe.
"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." - T.S. Eliot
And this little interlude, is just that... From a cafe across from Na Pukhu pond in Bhaktapur, Nepal, I gaze out and see a pack of stray dogs. A white female, with a small pack of puppies too old to be feeding off her... but too young to be on their own scavenging for food. I'm at a small, single table facing out to watch the sun over the water.... there's dust in the air... Some say it still hasn't settled from the earthquake of 2015; the dust and air pollution fills the air with a gray haze.
I've ordered ghoteko coffee... a frothy coffee made with instant coffee, milk and sugar. I opt out of the sugar and reach for the honey I'm covering my Woeshang Bhalay, a tibetan bread, I'm smothering with yak butter.
Most mornings I'd have kafi with Gamja jorim (감자조림) , Korean potato side dish, oats and honey, while watching the different ages of school kids, walk the small brick path in their school uniforms. But this morning... I decide to venture further out... and try something different. This wasn't always my norm. I struggled with feelings of paralysis of leaving familiar spaces. But when would I be back again? When would I find myself wandering the streets of one of the oldest cities in Nepal... or Nepal for that matter?
In 2019, I boarded a plane from southern India where I would wing it in Nepal. I stuffed a small pack with my journal, a few basics (2 pairs of socks, my Columbia Omni-heat long sleeve, leggings, pair of hiking pants, red KatVonD eyeliner, a few pens and nameless personal items).
When my plane landed, I followed others of its tiny ramp as your funneled into lines for a Visa. There's no guarantee of entry, you fill out an application, smiled and hoped for the best. My mind is all over the place... I want to tell you the Nepalese cricket team that followed, the crowd out front... and people chanting, "Nepal! Nepal! Nepal!"... How police and security surrounded them; as they had just won their first ever series for their home country...
My life is a series of events... I look back and think... I could not have dreamed of... or maybe I did.
I wanted to share how I... somehow got mixed into the shuffle of reporters. So, I whipped out my phone and went LIVE broadcasting like a foreign sports journalist... I love those moments... moments of WTF am I doing... an Holy Mac, HTF did I get so lucky!
I'm getting off track... I'll feel I should dive deep this week in some of my fondest journey solo trekking through Nepal in THERE IS NO WALK OF SHAME - Supporter Level.
I want to stay on path... but I'm finding it difficult. While journaling this morning, I found myself writing about the moon... reminding me to align how I show up aligned with my values... which led me to writing prompts from my journal from Portugal June 2024... which led me to questions that completed then about my CORE values... which led me to one of my questions...
Think of the most meaningful moments in your life...
...which led me down a path of Nepal... which led me to here... to some of my favorite memories over a cups of kafi.
Best,
Polly
I hope you're enjoying these personal blogs / stories... I plan on sharing some of these stories in my podcast, PERSONAL SHAMAN, available on most streaming platforms like AppleiTunes. If you've bought me a cup of coffee, read one of these blogs... or a subscriber to a level to help support production costs of my podcast, I appreciate it!