This post features student writing.

Today has been a pretty successful first day. Our attitudes were positive and everyone remained in high spirits. We started our day with a few name games to get our group going. Orientation was a must and we discussed our hopes and fears. We split into groups of three and embarked on a scavenger hunt around Boudhanath, the largest stupa in the world. Our scavenger hunting skills were stellar, by the way, and we got our first taste of hanging out with the locals. Lunch, a local Nepali dish known as dhal bhat, was delicious. Amidst our digestion process, we spent the entire afternoon drawing traditional thangka paintings with a helpful teacher. We found another hidden gem in the streets of Kathmandu and ended our night with an amazing dinner. After many highs and lows, we concluded that the heat was the worst. But all-in-all, we are all psyched to be here and can’t wait to continue this adventure!

More pictures to come!

— Margot B., leader of the day