THE REUNION
As a testament to the intensity of the Nepal trekking experience, several of our groups
over the years have decided to get together to relive their experiences, closeting
themselves off from the world for a weekend and immersing themselves in slides, stories,
and Nepali food. I'm always thrilled to know that such things happen, and have
occasionally even been invited to some of them.
One of our earlier trek groups had returned full of wonderful
experiences, and several members set about planning a reunion for that fall on Cape Cod.
Despite the fact that we had not been on the trek, my wife and I were invited to the
reunion. The group ranged in age from twenty-something to 70, male and female, from
all parts of the country and backgrounds. There would be flying and driving involved,
and certainly some expense, to get together and...do what? While living in Nepal for five
years had given me a solid understanding of what was behind the "magic of Nepal," I
wanted to find out what could have happened in three weeks last spring to get these
trekkers all together again.
There was discussion of the guides, who had thoughtfully, almost magically, always
appeared at the right moment with a steadying hand, helping people deal with swaying
bridges, uneven trails, and their own insecurities. Over a chicken curry dinner, it was
inevitable that the discussion would turn to Netra, our top cook. It was hotly debated
which was the more intriguing, his ebullient personality or his delicately-spiced curries.
During the slide show, the villages, monasteries, rhododendrons, and mountain views all
got high ratings on the Ooh meter.
But as the evening wore on, I came to realize that for all of the people in this group of
first-time trekkers, the essence of the experience had not been so different from my own: it
was meeting and sharing the world of the village Nepalis that had caused each of them to
leave a piece of their heart halfway around the world. And that was just fine with them.
Some of them may even go back to Nepal and have a reunion with that piece of their
heart, but that isn't what's important. Because in giving up a piece of your heart, anyone
who has experienced love knows that you get an even bigger piece in return, in this case
the heart of Nepal.
Himalaya 
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