It's very clear to me what the purpose of this journey is, but sometimes my mind has doubts. I've listened to what my mind has been telling me for most of my life, which kept me in my comfort zone for many years. And even though it's important to think about life and how we can improve it, if we just listen to the mind, we probably won't make any changes - especially the big ones - because we'll be afraid of what could go wrong. The mind often focuses too much on potential future problems, and it works this way to protect us from suffering.

So, why am I certain I've made the right decision? Because this time, I took a leap of faith by listening to my heart and gut. I just felt deeply I had to embark on this journey. Still, my mind sometimes acts as a force of resistance, bringing up all the fears associated with change.

Even though I'm certain about the importance of having left my comfort zone, on a big trip like this there will always be moments when I don't feel I'm doing something meaningful or inspiring. I really want this journey to be a life-changing experience, but I also have to accept that not every moment will feel amazing or meaningful. Sometimes I might feel I'm not in the right place - and that's okay. I believe we can learn from every single experience, and I think the bad ones often teach us the most.

Probably, I just need to lower my expectations for I what I want this journey to be and simply go with the flow and enjoy the present moment. I already know this very well in theory, but sometimes I need to remind myself and put it more into practice.

By now, you might be thinking I'm having a bad experience, but that's definitely not the case. I guess I'm just a bit complicated and tend to overanalyze my emotions and try to make sense of them.

After leaving the school in Chiti, I came to Pokhara. It felt good to take a break from volunteering and enjoy a bit of tourism. I stayed for 2 nights just to relax - sleeping in a more comfortable bed, eating more diverse food, and walking around the city's beautiful lake.

Then I went trekking in the Annapurna region. Those who know me well are aware of how much I love walking in nature, so being in Nepal was the perfect excuse to go trekking.

I walked for 6 days and arrived back in Pokhara yesterday afternoon.

Nature-wise, it's unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It's just out of this world - breathtaking landscapes surrounded by huge beautiful mountains. I don't think I've ever felt this way before, completely in love with what I was seeing. I couldn't stop myself from taking pictures all the time. Everything was just so beautiful.

It was physically challenging, though. There is no flat terrain - only steep ascents or descents. The first 2 days were more difficult because I was climbing to higher altitudes, and I'm not used to that. I felt short of breath and got tired more quickly than I would have at lower elevations. I reached 3200 meters, which is a personal record for me. I didn't have symptoms of altitude sickness, except for the heavier breathing while walking.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've done a few routes of the Santiago Way ("Camino"), and inevitably I started comparing the 2. One thing I noticed was how people interact. On the Camino, most people are very open to meeting new people, and it's easy to form deep connections. You end up sharing your life story with someone you've only just met. In Annapurna, it felt different. Many people travel in organised groups with local guides and tend to stay focused on their own group, not very open to strangers.

There are also solo travellers with guides, but it was rare to see someone trekking completely alone like I did. I was surprised. I still met a few people and had interesting conversations, but those were the exceptions - and they also had their own guides.

I'm now relaxing again in Pokhara. Tomorrow morning I'll head south to make sure I arrive in Lumbini before the meditation course starts on the 15th. The plan is to visit Bandipur and stay there for 2 nights. I've heard it's a lovely small town, great for relaxing. After that, I'd like to go to Chitwan, where there's a national park with animals such as tigers and rhinos. The idea is to do a half - or full-day safari and use the rest of the time to explore other places and enjoy nature.

The next stop is Lumbini. It would be nice to arrive a couple of days before the course starts, to get to know the city and rest. I haven't done formal meditation in a long time, so maybe I can use those days to practise a bit - even though nothing can truly prepare me for 10 consecutive days of meditation, with approximately 10 hours of practice each day.

The plans after the course are completely open, but I hope the 10 days in complete silence (we're not even allowed to communicate with others using gestures) will bring some new insights and ideas... Or maybe I shouldn't expect anything and just experience it.