Little Princes

After coming home from Nepal I had a rough adjustment. The next morning I had to be up at and school at 8am which was about 8pm in Nepal. So the time adjustment was hard but what was truly difficult was being catapulted back into my regular routine. Starting a new school year is hard enough. Starting a new school year while jet lagged and emotionally beat up is a whole new level of rough.
Just coming home and seeing my bed... my bed that costs more than the Nepali people make in a year... my bed that is all white because I have a shower and can clean myself every day... my bed that I got to choose which sheets I wanted and the thread count... that bed where I was able to ship myself a mattress, in a box, from the connivence of my home... that bed where I get to go to bed each night in a place that is safe, locked, heated, or cooled, a place that is bug free- for the most part- and where I choose when and how long to sleep.... that bed where I go to bed on a full stomach... that bed.
That bed that very few have in Nepal. So yes, when I opened my bedroom door I had a bit of mixed emotions.
And that people, is just my bed. Walking into school, getting into my car, driving on paved roads, seeing police who will help you and who you can trust, meeting my students with all their brand new... everything...
All while coming from Nepal just a day earlier. The stark contrast was very tough. I didn't have time to process everything I had experience and so I just dove right in putting my feelings on hold. Through the next two weeks I was able to share bits and pieces of what I experienced with those friends, roommate, teammates, but to them it is just a story. Something that happened far away. It isn't real. They can't fully imagine anything I am telling them and that is really hard. That is one of the hardest parts of travel. No one truly gets it unless they have been there.
It was in this hard time that I received a message on instagram from one of my past students. She told me that she admired me and that there was a book she read about trafficking in Nepal that was one of her favorite books. I jumped on it. I ordered the book that day and began reading it the day it came.
The book: Little Princes
This book was the number one thing that helped me process my experience. Every single one of you needs to order this book, read it, and then tell a friend about it. It is not one of those books you can't stomach to read. It is one of those books that makes you want to be a better person, it inspires you, it teaches you, it makes you laugh and cry but leaves you with feelings of hope. This book is powerful. It is a true story. It was a gift to me in my time of need.

So please. Get the book. Support NGN. Read it.

By the way if you are ever looking for organizations to donate to, talk to me. I have been on the ground with them. I have seen ones that do 100% good and I know of places that are in need and will use your funds for the right things. My donations go to these places each month and I know they are in the right hands.