The picture above was taken right outside the room I was staying in. In the distance, where there is a large tree standing tall on the farmland, is where Alistair and I accidentally got lost for a few hours. After lunch one day, we decided to walk to Golden Temple, a neighboring monastery. The trek there was very easy. We started on the road and cut through farmland that had clear paths to the Golden Temple from monks who walk there frequently.

We walked around Golden Temple (above) for a while, embracing the sounds and sights. We also joined lay people and monks on their walk along the sides of the buildings and around the prayer wheels (below). I remember it started getting late and dinner was about to be served back at Sera Monastery soon, so Alistair and I decided to head back home but take only farmland back as a new challenge.

Long story short, the sun set faster than we had anticipated, and we were both lost without seeing the monk’s dirt paths. Soon we were convincing ourselves that we saw large animals or spirits around us and I began thinking we would be lost in India forever (luckily the monks taught us that everything is impermanent, so this fear did not last too long). Fortunately, we ran into a farmer who didn’t speak any English but gestured the right way with his flashlight. Eventually we made it back, missing dinner and covered in mud. So, we decided to rinse off and eat chocolate cake at the café as a reward for overcoming the great farms of the south of India. Now, being back in America I would do anything to be lost on that farm one more time.

These next few pictures were taken on our adventure to a nearby lake. As
I write this back home in New York, I am still afraid of getting our friends in trouble for bringing me and Alistair along. So ‘theoretically’, Alistair and I became good friends with one monk who is very funny, charming, and friendly, who ‘theoretically’ may have had a motorcycle.

So, one day we joined him and his friend for a ride to a lake. But little did we know how beautiful and life-changing that trip would be. We rode on the busy, hectic highways of India, through a jungle (with tiger crossing signs along the paths), and eventually up steep, grassy hills until we reached this large, open lake where we went for a swim.

This day is my favorite memory of the whole trip! I had never felt so free and content with everything going on around me (P.S. I have goosebumps as I a writing this).

We swam, listened to music on the rocks (specifically “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses and “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias), had a photoshoot, and watched a breath-taking sunset.

Afterwards, they treated us to dinner and we promised them we would take them out for a bite when they come to visit us in America.  Thanks to this experience, I really want a motorcycle to feel that feeling of freedom and true happiness back home, and because I also told our friend I would take him for a ride on my motorcycle when he comes to visit.