By Brady Zoll

Today we took a short, “Mostly flat” hike (Alter description). This was a 30 minute hike to Bevra, a small, off the grid village deeper in the valley. As we hiked I was expecting a short easy hike. Throughout this hike we got to see beautiful views and we got to experience what it was like to be inside of a cloud. It was humid. When looking at the mountain tops, I started to wonder if the locals ever just looked out at the mountains, and if they thought it was as beautiful as I did, or if it was just normal for them. This made me wonder, If they came to Virginia would they think Virginia was as beautiful as I thought the mountains were? This made me realize many people can be blind of beauty because they’re used to it. Later that night I went outside to look at the stars and for some reason it just felt different than when I would stargaze in Virginia. I felt less connected to my surroundings. The constellations that I could usually easily recognize were in a different spot than where I had been used to seeing them. I saw a different side of the stars I am not used to seeing. 

At first, when we were in the village of Bevra, we had lunch while waiting out the rain. We got to watch Mr. Evan Micheal Pausic rate Indian crackers, and we got to eat Maggi. After the rain had stopped my group set out to look at the terraces where all the crops were being grown. On our journey there, we stopped at a sweet older woman’s house. She welcomed all ten of us into her small clay home. As we entered we took our shoes off at the front door, walked onto her dirt floor and sat on wooden planks. As we sat down, behind us was a small pen with two calves. The kind woman gave us Chai as we escaped from the rain yet again. The people in India are much kinder and more gracious than most people in America. This woman was all alone, her husband was away running a hotel business, and her children had been married off. Yet, she was still happy. Almost everything she cares about is gone and she still is happy. Most people in America after losing one material object, can’t be happy until they either get it back or get it replaced. 

Before coming to India I thought I needed material objects to feel fulfilled, saying that now I would be contradicting myself. I now realize I don’t need my phone to feel content or fulfillment. I should be content by being alive. In their culture everyday is a gift. Not a punishment, but another day to live. They work hard, rarely have a rest day, and yet they still enjoy every moment of their life because they are alive.