I was traveling around the world on an extended sojourn to learn about myself and experience other cultures. I found myself in the mountains in Nepal. I wasn’t high up on a snowy peak but rather at some type of base camp with dirt still under our feet. We were surrounded by behemoth yet majestic mountains. I had been travelling for a while on my trip so far and I had this sentiment of really learning about myself and the rest of the world outside of the North East United States: various cultures, foods, terrain, environments, etc. I had been staying with a group of locals and a couple of other travelers and it was morning, we were preparing to do our chores for the day. All of the sudden the loud speakers turned on, it was the call to prayer, it was then that I realized I was in an entirely Islamic community. Immediately everyone laid down their mats and began to pray toward Mecca. I was the only one who wasn’t praying. I remember internally debating whether or not to join in while I was living here and really learn about this culture that I’m living in. On one hand, the reason I was traveling was to learn about the world and to learn about myself. In my dream this meant different religions as well. On the other hand, I was confused as to whether temporarily submersing myself in Islamic faith for learning and growth against my own religion? My dream ended as I was debating this in my head. I was standing beside 20-25 people praying on their knees and looking out at the mountains and a sunrise. I just remember thinking about how amazingly huge, diverse, and beautiful the world was.
This was the first 8-hour sleep I’ve had in weeks. It feels fantastic.
