This is my first blog. In fact the first time ever I am documenting my life experiences. So please bear with me if you find it boring & a long read. My intention is to 1) record the profound experiences I have had while doing a school build project in Nepal recently while it is fresh so that I remember it in the years to come 2) hopefully connect with the readers and motivate them to do something similar for a cause they are passionate about.

So here it goes…

WARNING : This is a long read! It covers my journey in the last 6 months leading to the trek to Nepal to build the school. For those interested in reading about the school build project, they can skip the initial bits and get to the relevant sections outlined below however I recommend a full read to get a better perspective on the experience I had in Nepal as my journey before the trek led me to do the trek in Nepal.

Table of Contents

1	A bit of background about me and my journey before I took part in building a school in Nepal
2	My travels before the Trek and how I came to know about “buildOn”
3	Fundraising experience and a bit about Nepal
4	About “buildOn” and high level itinerary of the Trek
5	Meeting the team for the first time and visiting a completed “buildOn” school
6	Detailed account of my experience during the Trek
7	Post trek : reflections, and conclusion

A bit of background about me & my journey before I took part in building a school in Nepal.

I am a 33 years old male from Melbourne, Australia currently living the life of a nomad and very happy with the uncertainty it brings although I think it is coming to an end soon as I have to return to work from early next year. I am looking forward to next year and how my experiences this year will shape my choices and decisions. I am looking forward to observing myself as an external observer as I return to my previous life hopefully a better person than I was.

Born, raised and graduated in India, I worked in Bangalore for a couple of years before moving to Australia in 2010. Life in Australia was good, things came easy, corporate career dominated my life & I loved it, although I was naturally never a materialistic guy but got caught up in the trend of buying the most unique gadgets, cars etc., travelling gradually became a bucket list item as opposed to a learning experience. Amongst all of this comfort and “good” life as they say it, a part of me was not happy about myself and how I was living my life… I felt like I was getting caught up in my own bubble not realising how rigid / inflexible I was becoming which also led to social isolation and selective socialising behaviours. I felt like my ability to learn something new from life was decreasing day by day as I started to stay in my own bubble by doing things I like, meeting people I like, watching shows I like, stuck in the social media echo chamber, travelling the way I want (usually in luxury). Basically living in a bubble.