Magical Mystery Adventure Update
July 11, 2024
‘Julley’ from Leh! We learned this incredible, versatile Ladakhi word from our guide Pando, it’s used for so much and always with a positive power that Pando says would even de-escalate a fight (don’t worry we won’t be getting in any fights!) What an incredible 2 days we’ve had here in the Ladakh region. We started our adventure with a beautiful flight into Leh, where you could see mountains for miles. We arrived in Leh and immediately took well deserved naps after our long journey here. No surprise, but Holtie used this time to spread his excitement and get to know everyone right off the bat. We had our first delicious Indian meal of rice, veggie or chicken curry, and vegetable soup. We finished our meal and had our first moonup, where our first LODs (Stephen & Palmer) were delegated and our first moonup magic came into fruition.
The next morning, we woke up, ready to go. We heard stories over breakfast of the group staying up to play Mafia (and later this day got to play with them at a more reasonable hour) with Henry’s storytelling being an absolute hit and Austin’s perspective as a townsperson cracking the group up. We spent our morning exploring the Thiskey monastery, learning more about Tibetan Buddhism and all the history that surrounds this area. Palmer especially capitalized on the opportunity to ask our monastery guide questions to learn more about the rich history of the beautiful religion, and what all of the artwork in the monastery represents. After our first monastery, we headed back to the hotel, where we ate some lunch and then took a short walk to the nearby Shanti Stupa. Here, we were amazed at the beauty and details that came with this history rich shrine. We also got a stunning view of Stok Kangri, a peak that stands at a whopping 20187ft! Louise initiated what will become the famous Spider-Man picture of the trip here (pretty cool if I do say so myself). It’s safe to say, we’re nothing short of smiles and giggles here in Leh! We continued our walk through town, to the Leh market, where Stephen immediately led the charge on everyone buying fun pants – we can’t wait for you to see them when we get home! We finished the day with moonup and a small naan eating challenge, where Teddy took the gold! Before going to bed, though, we snuck up to the top of the roof and got a sneak preview of the stunning stars we’re about to witness here far from light pollution.
The next day, our new LODs Henry and Louise woke us up, readied us for our next adventure and then we hopped in the car to head to two monasteries in the neighboring towns of Likir and Alchi. The Likir monastery, was nothing short of incredible! We were flooded with rich history and artwork, along with a museum that certainly took our eyes and fascinated our brains, especially Maggie’s. We finished this monastery trip with a picture in front of a giant, gold Buddha (pictures to come) and then headed Alchi to see the first Indian monastery created over a thousand years ago before Tibetan Buddhism made its second push in the Ladakh region. Here, we saw a different version of the Buddha, and took in the beauty of the architecture, along with the history. With hungry bellies, we headed to the small village of Nimoo for a local, home cooked meal with the most delicious Indian food yet. To top off the culinary delights, the owners of the restaurant started blasting some music and Sanders joined the wonderful owner in getting the lunch dance party started! We waived goodbye to our new friend, and hopped in the buses to continue our dance party, with the energy radiating from Nan at the back of the bus! Once we got back to the hotel, Kate rallied the troops for some afternoon Codenames (a card game Jack brought), where everyone’s competitive sides started to come out, while Hunter rallied the journalers. We ended our day with another beautiful moonup where the LOD batons were passed to Nan and Teddy.
Today, we will be headed off for our 10 day trekking section in the Himalayas and COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!! We have a group of 12 porters/chefs/guides, and 22 horses accompanying us on this journey and the mountains are CALLING! Anyway, you won’t hear from us until we return but we are sending love and excitement as we head on our journey (see below). See you on the other side!!
Sent with all our love,
May May and Jack
Louise – “Hey mommy and daddy!! I’m having fun in India and I’m so excited to see some horses on our trek. Love and miss y’all. Tell everyone at home I miss them too :)).”
Austin – “Hey mom and dad! Hope yall are doing good. Having a blast in India and are about to start our trek. Happy birthday Grant! Love and miss y’all”
Maggie – “Hi Mom and Dad! I just want to say that I miss you guys and I hope that you are both having fun in Singapore! I am having so much fun in India and I can’t wait to see you! I love and miss you!”
Nan – “Hey hey hey!! I’m having the best time!! Our group is so fun and India is so fun to explore and learn about. The trekking starts soon and we have 25 horses to carry our stuff. Can’t tell if that’s a good or bad sign… BUT I’M PUMPED! I love and miss all of yall so much and I hope Bea is preserving!”
Palmer – “Hiiiiii fam, Anna, Marg, and D!! India is actually INSANE! We’ve been seeing so much cultural stuff that I cannot wait to show yall! Trekking in Himalayas starts tomorrow which is actually so once in a lifetime- thank yall so much for sending me here!! Group is actually amazing- love love love everyone and you guys! See you soon! 123 ”
Teddy – “Hey momma I am having a great time in the Himalayas. The past two days we went to two monasteries which are for Buddhist people and up on a hill. The group is also already really close through 4 days. We have been staying in a hotel but tomorrow we leave to go on a 10 day trek through the mountains. I hope you have fun in Sun valley and at the beach and tell Taft I said India is really cool it is like Colorado but the mountains are so much bigger. Love you”
Kate – “Hi mom and dad!!! I hope everything is good at home and the dogs are good!! I’m having a blast, love yall! Also hello Josie chamoi Ann and julia, #3 says what’s up”
Sanders – “Dear Mom
I am having a lot of fun. Hope all is well back in bama I really do miss y’all but I am having to much fun to worry about it
Love your favorite son”
Hunter – “Hi family and friends!! I’m having a blast figuring out the mystery!! So far we have gone to three monasteries!! They are so cool!! I can’t wait for the trek!! Love yall!!”
Stephen – “Yooo What’s up guys! Love and miss y’all. I’m having such a good time we are starting our trekking tomorrow/the next day and I’m pumped. I hope yall are doing something fun wherever you are. I’m so glad I am here it is incredible. Never thought I would be chilling in India in the Himalayas. I’m so excited about the new puppy. Also I have a feeling the cousins will get there while I’m on the trip, tell them I say what’s up. I miss y’all so much and I love yall so much. Love you, see you soon.”
Holtie – “What’s up mom and dad. I’m having a great time in India, it’s so cool here. Miss and love yall a ton! Coleman I hope your 3rd sesh is great, Maui builds leaders. Any friends reading this what’s up. Miss and love you yall.”
Henry – “Hey mom and dad! The trip has been so much fun so far. We’ve already seen some really cool places and we’re about to head out to start trekking. I love you!”
We made it to India!
July 8, 2024
Mystery…Maharaja?
India?! The Himalayas!?
Talk about a WOW!
There were rumours aplenty, there were whispers and gossip, even the odd hypothesis or two… but the ‘Roof of the World’?? Lands of snow leopards, Nomads, Pashmina Goats, Yaks, ancient traditions and a melting pot of religions? Come onnnnn now!
Put another WOW up there for good measure!
Leading a moondance trip can have its challenges, most of them we welcome and even hope for, but there is so little I’ve found in the world that compares to the extraordinary gift of getting to spend 3 weeks with a group of humans who are full of intentional curiosity focused on a collective effort to lift each other up in every way possible. Yes, this destination is awe-inspiring and we couldn’t be more excited for what lies ahead but it’s hard for me to articulate how much fulfilment and joy there is in having gotten to meet our newly formed family of 14.
Before we revealed the mystery May May and I heard numerous jests that our destination was “Detroit”, “Right here in Atlanta”, or “Cleveland”. And yes, they were jokes, but we couldn’t help but smile and to a certain extent connect with knowing smiles that with a group like this (12 impressively open, fun loving, and caring young adults) it really wouldn’t matter if we never even got to leave the airport!
Ok maybe that wouldn’t be quiiiiiite as special as a trip to a place many of us never even dreamed we’d get to go, but you know what I mean. I’m sure you do, because if you’re reading this then you know at least one of us well enough to know how lucky May May and I are to have the genuine privilege of being the leaders for this group. It’s an incredible feeling to have a group of all star students who are all fully bought in to just how much you can get out of an experience like this if you dive in at the deep end.
From Holtie landing as our first student in Atlanta through to Teddy completing our squad our hearts got fuller and fuller as we began to form our family. After Henry and I found an immediate bond over theatre and he braved doing his best Scottish accent for me we all waddled our way through the airport and even managed to steal a moment for a mini moon up by our departure gate. Austin led the charge at the moon up and opened the floor for everyone to share their hopes for themselves on this trip. Many students spoke openly about their eager yearning for 3 weeks of disconnecting from their phones, learning more about themselves, and both Hunter and Maggie emphasised just how much importance they hold and awareness they have for the gift of being fully present in the moment. It was the perfect tone to set before taking off on the first flight of our trip to the other side of the world!
Sitting on the plane I was already nostalgically smiling to myself thinking about the contagious joy Sanders has instantly brought to the group, the powerful presence and intentionality of Nan and Stephen, and the nurturing maturity of Palmer. It’s hard not to want to start writing a novel about each and every one of them.
After a bit of a delay leaving Atlanta our connection in Doha didn’t quite leave us with enough time to explore the airport but it’s majestic and extravagant decor for us excited to pass back through on the way back! And the next thing we knew we were landing in Delhi! While we only had a few hours in the hotel it was enough for a much needed refresher and power snooze, and the truly luxurious breakfast buffet fuelled us up for the last flight of the opening travel. Louise, Kate and I all sat together seizing the opportunity to dive a bit deeper in conversation until it was time to fly from Delhi to Leh.
Even with the madness of travel over such a long distance we found ourselves bonding, laughing, and joking as we eagerly inched closer to the epic landscape of the Ladakh region. We met the primary guide for our group – Pando (which means warrior) and instantly took to his kind soul and deep love he has for his homelands. It has been compounding our excitement about the destination to hear how passionately and vividly he describes his birthplace.
Landing in Leh felt like a completely different world from Delhi and even though the guides told us that, it surprised us just how starkly different it feels to be surrounding by the imposing endless peaks of the Himalayas compared to the bustling streets of Delhi.
We’re now officially at altitude, just shy of 12000 feet and our primary goal for now is just to acclimatise safely. It’s hard to temper the desire to run off and explore but after we get a good night’s sleep tonight we will endeavour to write you another update before beginning our epic trek!
-May May and Jack
