This post features student writing by Anna.

Today is the last day of our wonderful and special trip. This program has had its ups and downs but those ups and downs are the reason this trip was the way it was. Waking up this morning was strange for many of us; it’s the last morning we’ll wake up here in Nepal with all of us together. But we tried really hard not to think about that.

This morning we had a later breakfast than usual because most of us needed to finish packing for our long flight tonight. At 10 AM, Sonam, one of the co-founders of The Small World, came to our guesthouse to share her story and speak about her experiences being orphaned at a young age, being a woman in Nepal, and sometimes having a difficult time in this country. Her talk moved everyone in the room because she spoke of things most of us had never experienced, and may never experience. We could tell it was difficult for her to tell us her story, but we are so glad she did. We also then had a chance to buy some handmade bags and items that The Small World sells that are made by women who have been abandoned by their husbands for having a baby girl instead of a boy. Many of us bought bags and it was beautiful to see us students doing what we could this morning to help these women out.

We then drove through the city to spend some of the morning buying souvenirs and shopping a bit in Thamel, a famous neighborhood of Kathmandu. We split into small groups and wandered on our own, which was different and fun. We met up a few hours later and headed to a pre-flight early dinner where we enjoyed conversations and our last Nepali meal. During dinner we shared the remainder of our handmade cards with our guides. It was very emotional because we’d all grown so close to the guides, they feel like family, and we will miss them very much. During our time shopping this afternoon, I wanted to do something special for the group so I bought bracelets for every member of our group. When they look at the bracelets, I hope they’ll think back to this trip and all the leaders and students and instantly be happy

After dinner, we drove to the airport and said our final farewells to our guides. We won’t ever forget these shared moments. We’ll never forget our time and experiences in Nepal. So thank you, thank you, to our parents, our guides, our leaders, but most of all to this group of Putney students. It’s not a goodbye—it’s a See You Later.

— Anna