Nepal 2022 and my unexpected experience

I was in the fortunate position to be able to take a trip to Kathmandu, Nepal from the end of September into the middle of October 2022. People ask me if I went trekking, but that isn’t my “style”, although I love being in nature and outdoor/landscapes have been something I’ve spent a lot of time photographing and really love to be a part of. I consider Nepal to be a bit of the extreme end of hiking, so it’s a bit out of my league.

It all came about really spontaneously in February of 2022 and I asked a good friend back on the east coast “What are you doing at the beginning of October? Want to meet in Nepal?” He said yes with a screen shot of his airline tickets.

As the year went on, it never really seemed to be something that was “real”, it was all work, work, work for both of us really. Until the end of August, when we were able to say we were in the double digits until departure. That’s when it became real, and surreal all at the same time.

I completely went in with the expectation that I would photograph what the Kathmandu area is known for, the colors, the ancient temples, and of course the Himalayas. All of the “safe” things I was accustomed to photographing.

 Within the first day of being there it became clear that the People would capture me. I became mesmerized by their smiles, their warmth, and their openness almost instantly. They just seemed to glow from the inside.

 As each moment passed by, I became more and more confused at what I was witnessing. I couldn’t understand how they could have such a natural flow in the way they appeared to live.

 In the midst of what we in the west would consider poverty conditions, the people I was interacting with and capturing all seemed to be at peace; they carried a contentment, compassion and a wisdom that radiated from their being. I knew that my own searching had finally led me to pieces that was missing in myself, vulnerability, compassion, and contentment.

 I know that this project will continue for the remainder of my life, the search for people who are content, are at peace, and live with compassion.

 I truly believe that if I can share what I’ve discovered in myself, that it will open the heart of someone else who may see this body of work.