On The Road to Lumbini

Even though I was raised Catholic, I have never been a particularly religious person. My father was Buddhist and growing up in the Buddhist country of Thailand, I’ve only heard of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha in stories and myths. In my mind it was a magical place that was portrayed in the many paintings inside the Buddhist temples in Thailand and it wasn’t a “real” place. So when I had this opportunity to pilgrimage to Lumbini (although I know didn’t actually set off with that intention), I found myself very humbled by the journey.

Perhaps this is what this country compels us to do - share slivers of our soul.

There’s so much here that encourages us to do that. Whether it’s the trek in nature to the peace pagoda, seeing elephants and rhinos in Chitwan National Park, the many multi-day treks offered… each person can find a way to reconnect with a part of themselves that they may have forgotten - even in the most unexpected ways.