This post features student writing.

Today, we woke up in Salleri for the first time since our trek. It was surprisingly nice to wake up in the familiar dorm beds. Personally, I woke up at 5 AM, as I have been the whole program, and watched the sunrise, did some yoga, and drank some tea. I love waking up before the group and spending some peaceful time with our Sherpa guides, and it was extra special today because Sonam (from The Small World) was up at the same time as me. Eventually, everyone woke up, definitely thankful to be back in beautiful Salleri. We had a late breakfast (8AM! So late!) and ate some millet pancakes and (our fave!) potatoes. After breakfast, we broke into two groups. Half of us did laundry and then went to the school to spend some time with the kids and gather info for our independent projects. The other half of us put on our work clothes and hiked to the construction site! At the site, our work switched from moving rocks to moving bowls of concrete for the foundation of the buildings. Some local workers were skillfully tossing the heavy bowls down the assembly line. Soon after, we left the work site and our group did our own laundry. Krishna helped me because apparently I’m not the best at it. Krishna’s the best 🙂 With the whole group back together again, we sat down for a yummy lunch of rice, dahl, naan, and some amazing cauliflower. After lunch we had a free time where people napped, played cards, and did henna tattoos. At 3, we sat down with Sonam and she told us the amazing and touching story of The Small World, while also showing us the plans for the finished children’s home, which inspired us all and made our hard work all worth it. Then we had dance lessons and ate dinner (soup, rice, veggies, the usual). We ended the day with a nice family meeting reflecting on the differences between our cultures and talking about going home. I don’t want to go and I’m sure everyone feels the same. We’re all heading to bed with a huge loud thunderstorm happening, which is pretty nice and relaxing. It was an inspiring and productive day.

— Daisy T.

After breakfast, we hiked uphill to a Tibetan Refugee Camp. There, the children put on a talent show for the Dalai Lama’s birthday. One of the performances was a yak dance. We returned to the hostel, ate a delicious lunch of grilled cheese and french fries, then finished presenting our independent projects. Next, Sonam taught us about the caste system and the continuing discrimination towards the Dalit Caste. We split into 3 groups and visited households of the Dalit Caste. Each house was inhabited by members of the same family. The family members were blacksmiths and they showed us how they made different objects, such as bowls and spoons. When we returned, some of us played volleyball. During the game, it started to pour, making the game even more fun. The combination of these events created an informative and fun day.

— Samantha W.

We started our day with a 7:30 AM breakfast consisting of chocolate pancakes, eggs, and potatoes. After breakfast we left for a full day at the work site. During the morning, half of the group moved sand while the other half leveled land. We had a group volleyball game, which was students versus guides/leaders. Today we stayed for lunch at the work site, which was fried rice, beans and cauliflower. After lunch one group leveled the road so the jeeps could get through while the other group moved rocks. After work we showered and had tea. After the tea break we had our final dance lesson to perfect our dance for the school tomorrow. After dance we had a momo-making lesson and round of card games before dinner. After dinner we had a family meeting and re-capped our final day at the work site 🙁 Today was a work- and fun-filled day!

— Holly R.

We had breakfast at 8 AM this morning. We ate Tibetan bread, eggs, and potatoes. After breakfast we got ready to work, and then we filled holes with rocks so that the jeeps can get through tomorrow. After our short work day we got ready for our dance at the school and had a snack. When we got to the school a few kids performed dances for us. Finally it was our turn to perform the dance that we have been working on. Near the end of the dance the music cut out so we had to stop dancing. After that we went back to our dorms and ate lunch. Then we had free time and time to pack. After we helped make momos for dinner. We then had our family meeting and talked about our time in the village. We are all very sad to be leaving the village tomorrow but had a great last day.

— Maria L.

Note from the leaders: We are very sad to be leaving our new-found home here in Salleri in the Solukhumbu Region. We will miss the beautiful snow-covered mountains, the welcoming neighbors, and the chatter of the goats and roosters around our home. With the end of one chapter, we have one final leg left before heading home. We are off to Kathmandu for a packed final few days!

— Jada & John