I returned to India the summer after, where I did a three month internship in Auroville, Tamil Nadu for a sustainable living consulting group. As a side trip, I spent ten days in Kathmandu where I officially caught the travel bug, specifically the urge to travel long-term around the world. At a hostel in Kathmandu I made friends with a great group of other solo backpackers, who were all on their own long-term trips around the world.
I felt so at home wandering the streets of a strange city, going to live rock band shows, playing local card games, and riding on the top of a bus together after an overnight trip to Bhaktapur! I fell in love with the backpacking lifestyle, and I knew this was something that I had to do after I finished my studies. I just needed to save the money first.