Hidden in the hills surrounding Kathmandu, Nepal, there is a monastery called Karuna Vihar. It is a beautiful place where young girls have been taken to once being saved from human trafficking by a nun who I call Guruma. My Aji (grandmother) is friends with her and first took me to this monastery a few months ago, where we walked around and sat through their prayers. I loved the idea of reading to them, so I took one of my favorite childhood books, a pop up jungle book, and read it to them with my Aji there to help with some translation. The language barrier has been a bit hard since I only sort of speak Nepali and they only sort of speak English, but we’ve made it work and it’s a great experience for them and for me. I knew from the first time that it was such a special place, from their own beautiful garden and incredible view of the Himalayas, to Guruma’s kindness and the young girls who are always laughing and are now living such great lives altogether. I’ve gone back multiple times, and hope to always continue to visit this special place.