What comes to mind when you think of spring break? Partying? Laying by the beach in a cute bathing suit? Hanging out in a nunnery? Probably not the last one, but that is, alas, how I spent the first few days of break. This all came about in the same way that most things in my life come about, I kind of fell into it. So some of my friends here really wanted to do a meditation retreat over spring break, and earlier I was worried that I wouldn’t have any spring break plans, because it seemed like everyone either had relatives visiting or wanted to do a retreat. I had resigned myself to the possibility of traveling alone (although anyone I mentioned that idea to had rather harsh words about it, rightly so I suppose), so just to see what everyone else was going to do, I went to the meeting about doing retreat. Geshe-la, who I think might be our group’s guardian angel if monks can be such things, found out that some of us were interested in doing retreat, and despite my asking to have ten question marks and all sorts of other indications that I really wasn’t sure that I even wanted to do a retreat next to my name on the list, I got caught up in all the plans. Of course, I could have said no, and no one would have been offended, but by this point Geshe-la had put so much work into finding places for us, that I didn’t really want to say no. So on Friday, I went with Geshe-la, Kendell, and Julia to Thosamling nunnery (Geshe-la even went with us and arranged for one of the IBD cars to take us all down, and when we got there he made sure we were taken care of). It is amazing there. It’s surrounded by beautiful fields and the view of the mountains is spectacular, and the place itself is so nice. It’s a nunnery and retreat center for Western women, so it was kind of nice to not feel so other for awhile, although there are so many tourists here in Mcleod, that I don’t really feel quite so other here anyway. Also, they’re really careful with the food there, and it’s so good. I ate my first salad in India while I was there. If you told me a year ago that I would be so excited by salad, I would have though you were crazy, but alas. While I was there, I did meditate a little, but I think I spent most of my time reading, walking, and napping. It was probably the two most relaxing days of my life. So anyway, that’s how I started my spring break. Kendell and Julia wanted to stay longer, so they’re still there, but tomorrow I’m going to be catching a bus to Dehra Dun, so I figured I’d come back up to Mcleod today (as I write this, today is Monday, but by the time I post it, that will no longer be the case) to have some time to get ready. I actually spent most of the day hanging out with Eva and her brother, which was fun. I hadn’t really had a chance to do much of the touristy-type shopping and looking at stores since we got to Mcleod, so today I got to do that. I bought two new shirts, a new bracelet, and a mala (because that’s what most people do when they come out of retreat...they go shopping. I think I’m failing in some spiritual aspect here), and tomorrow I’m going to go to all the used book stores (at least all four that I know of). It’s a twelve or thirteen hour bus ride to Dehra Dun, so I need some books to read. So tomorrow I’m catching a bus to Dehra Dun, with one other student from the program, and hopefully we’ll be able to meet up with two other students from the program when we get there (I say hopefully, because none of us have cell phones, and I don’t even know what bus they’ll be coming in on or what time it’s supposed to arrive or anything of that sort). Plans are rather ambiguous after that. Perhaps going to an animal preserve (the guidebook says you can ride an elephant!); perhaps staying in Dehra Dun; perhaps going to Haridwar (I don’t know if anyone else I’m traveling with wants to go there. The Ganga runs through it, and it’s a holy city that usually has a lot of pilgrims (these are both my reasons for wanting to go and other people’s reasons for not wanting to go)) or Rishikesh. So we shall see.
About the last entry…I said I’d actually explain where the pictures were from, but then I got lazy then I got sick (probably from swimming in the river, silly me), so I guess there was never really any explanation. The fort is Kangra fort, and it’s really beautiful. The river runs next to it, and it was a hot day, so we decided to hike down to swim. We must have looked strange, all half dressed and jumping into the river, but it was so fun, and it felt so nice after the hike. Also, I don’t think I actually got sick from the river, I think it was just bad food, and considering how sick other people have gotten here, I think I got off lightly. Seriously, four or five people have had dysentery, and I’ve only gotten sick twice, and it’s only lasted like a day or a day and a half each time. I don’t know how I’ve been so lucky, but trust me, I’m thanking my lucky stars. Also, our audience with the Dalai Lama (!!!) is in two weeks!