Already a month has passed since my last post here. Time flies.

So many things have happened  over this past month, and a sequence of events has brought me to where I am now - Dharamshala, the land of the Dalai Lama.

On the same day I wrote my last post, I got stomach sick. Some unwanted parasite decided my belly was a nice place to live. It took me some time to recover - for around 3 days, I barely ate anything. I got weak, and after regaining a bit of appetite, I was super careful with the food I ate while staying in Naggar. The owner was very kind and always checked in to see how I was doing. They cooked some light meals that were good for my stomach, and I slowly started to get better.

On the day I was supposed to check out of the guesthouse and head to my next volunteering project, I received a message from the host saying it had to be cancelled because they didn't have many guests due to the rainy weather. I had 2 hours left until check-out and no idea where to go.

I decided to talk to the guesthouse owner and explain my situation. We agreed I'd stay for a few extra nights to think about my next steps, and I took the opportunity to finally do some trekking around the area -  something I barely did before because I'd been sick most of the time. As I got better each day, I really enjoyed doing those small treks.

The owner mentioned that one of her friends runs a nearby guesthouse and is usually looking for volunteers. I wrote him to find out more, thinking it could be a good backup plan, after my other project was cancelled. Long story short, I ended up deciding not to go because I didn't like the conditions he described.

During my last days in Naggar, I tried to figure out (and feel) what my next destination could be. I think I only decided on my very last day, just before leaving Naggar.

A friend of mine gave me very good advice: choose what you want to do based on how you feel about it - is it something you truly feel like doing, or just something you feel you should be doing?

I started this journey thinking that volunteering would be the main thing I'd do - helping others and feeling useful makes me feel good about myself.

There's always some ego in it, even when helping others. I do it because it makes me feel good. That's the truth. But I felt now it was (and still is) time to take care of myself instead.

India is a special country. People who visit often say they either love it or hate it - or both at the same time.

At first, it can be frustrating when your plans get cancelled, but that's normal in India. Unexpected things happen all the time - I can see it clearly now, and I keep hearing the same from other travellers.

But instead of stressing about it, why not accepting it and see where life wants to take you? If something gets cancelled, that means something else is on its way - new experiences to discover.

Even though I was feeling better day by day, I felt my digestive system had been through too much since I started travelling, and I needed not just rest but also some professional help.

I believe I usually eat quite healthy food, but it's true I haven't been very careful since I started this journey. In many small shops in both Nepal and India, it's not easy to find healthy food - but you'll easily find tons of cookies, chocolates, chips, and all the unhealthy snacks you can imagine. I could still have looked for healthier alternatives, but once you start eating sugar, your body keeps craving more and more.

Since I'm in India and prefer natural medicine, I started looking for places where I could get some Ayurvedic treatment. I found a clinic online, located in the same state - Himachal Pradesh.

The clinic is in Dharamshala, and that's how I ended up here. A friend of mine also got treated at this same clinic and told me it's 100% recomendable.

The treatment was basically a colon cleanse - part of the Panchakarma method used in Ayurvedic medicine. It lasted for 11 days and finished a week ago. I decided to stay here because I need to be extra careful during this transition phase. I'm taking some natural medicines prescribed by the doctor and eating as healthy as I can, which is easier to do at the place where I'm staying - they also have their own Ayurvedic clinic and prepare healthy meals.

I feel so much better after the treatment, with so much more energy. I've fully regained my appetite and don't miss any of those obvious junk foods.

I'm planning to stay here at least until the beginning of August, then continue my travels - hoping I keep finding nice places to eat well.

Even though it's monsoon season in most of India, it usually doesn't rain the whole day - just for a few hours.

This is a very relaxing place to stay. It's surrounded by mountains and lots of nature, with not many cars - at least in the part of the city where I'm staying. I'm taking things slowly - walking around, attending concerts called Kirtan, where they sing mantras. We usually sit in a circle and sing along with the musicians.

There's also a meditation center nearby that offers a daily 1-hour guided meditation. They have a library too, where I love reading on the balcony facing a forrest.

I've also been meeting really nice people and have made a few very good connections.

I've started thinking about my next steps after I leave Dharamshala. I do have to make some plans - even if they change later - because there are trains and especially flights that need to be booked in advance.

In the meantime, I booked a contact improvisation course for the end of October. It will take place in Goa, so by then I should be in that area.

For the short term, I've been thinking about visiting West Bengal - I'd like to see Darjeeling and Kolkata. And then, by the 11th of September, I'll need to leave the country due to visa restrictions, even if it's just for a day. So I'm also considering where to go - Thailand and Vietnam came to mind, but I need to check if I can find cheap flights.

Crossing the border to Nepal by land was my original plan, but somehow I don't feel like going back there. I loved it, but i think it was enough. I don't see the point of returning, apart from the convenience - Darjeeling is right next to the Nepalese border.

After this month here, I have to say that I'm already starting to fall in love with India.

Nepal was great - I loved it too - but India is somehow magical. It feels like it's always leading me exactly where I need to be.