We arrived at the Root Institute on Tuesday, the 13th of October. After our shortest train ride yet (about 5 hours) we arrived in Gaya. From the crowded train station we packed into three auto-rickshaws which took us all the way to Bodh Gaya, where we concluded that leg of our journey at the Root Institute: a Buddhist retreat center. It was well past 11pm, and the sleepy guard let… Read More
Our week began and culminated with 2 incredible sunrises. On Sunday morning, we sleepily stumbled into rickshaws at 5:45 AM to head to the Taj Mahal. We were able to beat the crowds and the scorching mid-day heat. In true Indian fashion, we had to experience some sort of chaos before actually getting in! The security line was hectic and extremely unorganized, but it was well worth the wait. The… Read More
Our journey to Udaipur began in a train station in Jaipur, around 10 PM. Most of the group was groggy, and not particularly looking forward to the bumpy, overnight train ride we were about to embark on. Sensing the collective lethargy within the group, Ben Ji decided to energize us with our favorite past time besides shuttlecocking(Rest in peace):a jam sesh. The minute Ben Ji started strumming his mandelin, a… Read More
Day three in Delhi. Insanity. First of all, it feels weird to be on the internet. I have really enjoyed being unplugged.
The roads here are absolute chaos. The taxis, motorcycles, tuck tucks(?), pedestrians, and wild animals all fight for space on the narrow streets. It makes me so appreciative of crosswalks. You can’t go 1.3 seconds without hearing a horn honk. There are also lots of interesting odors here.… Read More
Namaste from New Delhi! Today we are out on a scavenger hunt of the city. We have met some really nice people who are helping us find what we need. The city is crazy but really cool. We are enjoying getting used to the culture and language. -Margaret
Things here are incredible! It’s all so different and new to us, but we pick up all we can everyday. the language… Read More
Somehow we all woke up feeling refreshed on our first morning in Delhi – neither the 30 hours of travel nor the magic of jumping a day forward in time seemed to phase the group. We had an amazing and quintessential Indian breakfast on the rooftop of our hotel – chai, aloo parantha (potato-stuffed bread), breakfast curries, omelettes, cornflakes and curd. Appetites sated, we jumped right in with some great… Read More
We have received word that the Shanti group has landed safely in Delhi and settled into their hotel for a much-deserved rest. Stay tuned for more from the group themselves as they set out to explore India!… Read More
The mighty Shanti group has successfully gathered together at the San Francisco airport. They’ve gone through security and they are off to board their plane.
We look forward to hearing more from this team as they delve deeper into all that awaits in India.
Stay tuned to the blog for an update when they have landed safely in Delhi!
– Mike and the HQ team… Read More
Namaste to all of our Shanti adventurers!
We are here in Portland eagerly and enthusiastically preparing for our upcoming India semester together. We are so excited to meet you all in just five short days! Within the many activities we are planning for the trip, we have also been putting our heads together to come up with great Carpe Diem lessons, as well as hilarious jokes to enlighten you with.… Read More
Walking through the San Francisco airport this morning, I was more alone than I had been in three months. In a timezone that didn't feel like mine, I walked feeling as though I had discovered something. I feel such profound gratitude for all the small pieces which brought me to India, which brought me through India, and which brought me home to where I am now. Looking around this place… Read More
This morning we said goodbye to our wonderful group of students. We have shared some amazing memories with them and will remember each of them fondly.
After our arduous journey across the plains of Northern India, and a breathtaking trek into the mountains of Sikkim, we ended our semester in the Tibetan communities of Dharamsala and Bir. The students remained engaged and enthusiastic up to the very last moment, taking… Read More
We've received word that the mighty Shanti group has checked in to their flights New Delhi. They've been a fantastic group and it been a great semester. We are wishing them all traveling mercies on their respective journeys home. Here's a retrospective picture the the handsome group from their time at Dev Bala farm. Namaste… Read More
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche said in one of his talks that the people of India have no common sense; they only have wisdom. As the last days of our time in India slip by, I can't help but think about that, and try to drink in all the last little bits of wisdom, utter lack of common sense, and everything else that makes India, India. We spent a few days in… Read More
After the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal this Saturday, here at Carpe Diem we are holding all of the people affected in our hearts and thoughts. Our three Latitudes students are safe, uninjured, and we are in communication with each of them. We also have a semester group in Northern India who are unaffected by the earthquake. Two of our students were volunteering in Kathmandu at the time of the earthquake.… Read More
Namaste, and a warm hello from all of us here in India!!! Wow, our most recent adventures have been truly one of kind. Sorry, to eveyone out there that has been looking forward to our latest post, we haven't had the chance to catch up on group orientated activities lately; such as blogging because we where staying at the beautiful Phool Chatti Ashram in Rishikesh. Last week was such a… Read More
Hey there! Today Shanti left the Dev Bala family farm in outer Dharamsala, where we stayed for five rejuventating days. Dev Bala sits right on the foothills of the Himalayas, which means you can stand in the garden, gazing out over luscious semi-tropical fields and farms in the valley, and turn your head to look at the snowcapped peaks right above you. The family at the farm grows what seemed… Read More
This world we live can be such a beautiful place if you let it be. If you open yourself up to what it has to offer you can find yourself again.
This week Shanti India found themselves in the Asian fairy tale of Sikkim. Famous for its wide variety of plant life, that attracts botanists from all over the world and opportunities for mountaineering tourism. We arrived at our destination… Read More
Overnight trains are almost becoming comfortable — compared to train station floors. We left the busy city of Calcutta and looked onwards towards the mountains of Gangtok, Sikkim. After our first jeep ride we were eager to make our way into the nearest cafe to grab pizza, hot dogs, and a cake to celebrate the 19th birthday of our wonderful group mate, Hava. We made our way into our… Read More
Hinduism, and so India, had begun to make sense to our group thanks to plentiful immersion and instruction. We had started to understand this colorful country and its colorful religion as we left Varanasi for Bodhgaya. But since the nature of seeing the world is surprise after surprise, we were thrown for a loop as we arrived in this new city of Buddhism, where the Buddha is said to have… Read More
Dear families out there, In case you haven't heard, we're in Kolkata this week! Each day, we've been getting up at 6 am and splitting up to go spend the mornings doing service at our chosen Mother Theresa home– some of us are working with physically or developmentally disabled kids, some of us are working with older mentally disabled women, and some of us (including me!) are working in the… Read More
