From Tibet House to Tibet: A Pilgrimage Comes Full Circle
Reflections on sacred space, spiritual study, and the research of becoming
Not every trip begins with a suitcase.
Some begin with a whisper — a nudge from something unseen but deeply known. For me, that whisper first emerged during a pilgrimage that wasn’t across oceans, but across New York City.
It was June in 2024, and I had just begun the Spirituality Mind Body program at Columbia, Teachers College. A few of my cohorts and I visited Tibet House, a sanctuary of culture and contemplation tucked within the Manhattan rush. Inside, surrounded by mandalas, prayer wheels, and ancient artifacts. I felt like a soul remembering something it hadn’t yet lived. That visit awakened a quiet longing — not to “go to Tibet,” but to understand the depth of Tibetan culture and spirituality as it had already been influencing me from afar.
A few weeks later, our cohort traveled to Menla, Tibet House’s retreat center in the Catskills. There, I immersed myself in nature, group ritual, and deep internal work. I cried, I reflected, I stretched into discomfort, and I reclaimed parts of myself that had been quieted by doctrine and daily life. I learned how to hike with humility, how to ask for help, and how healing truly happens at the intersection of mind, body, and spirit. I thought I was doing a school retreat. But in truth, I was preparing — unknowingly — for something far more expansive.
This July, just weeks after graduating from my program, I’ll be traveling to Tibet with Tibet Voice, an organization deeply aligned with my own values: cultural preservation, spiritual learning, ethical education, and healing through connection. What makes this journey especially meaningful isn’t just the destination — it’s how this experience has been lovingly scaffolded.
Every week, I’ve joined Zoom sessions led by Tibet Voice’s founder, Eugenie Xu. These aren’t logistical briefings. They’re teachings — on the land, the customs, the spiritual history of Tibet. These conversations have transformed what could be “a trip” into a sacred invitation to witness. I’m not just packing gear — I’m unpacking assumptions. I’m learning what it means to stand with reverence in someone else’s sacred space.
As someone whose work centers women’s wellness, parenting, psychology, and cultural storytelling, I’ve long known that healing isn’t just internal. It’s relational. And travel, when done with intention, can be a ritual — a mirror, a teacher, a homecoming.
This pilgrimage feels like a full-circle moment. From Tibet House to Menla to the mountains themselves. From study to embodiment. From longing to landing.
But it’s also the beginning.
As I journey, I carry not only a notebook and camera, but a researcher’s mind and an open heart. My approach is rooted in reverence, reflection, relationship — and research. I believe in traveling with care, listening deeply, and documenting ethically. My long-term goal is to turn the Earth into a classroom — not only for myself, but for my son. Each experience becomes a site of inquiry, a lesson in humanity, and a blueprint for how we can move through the world more consciously.
Tibet is my starting point.
But my path — our path — is wide open.
’ll be sharing more reflections, resources, images, and insights from this sacred journey. If this kind of storytelling speaks to your soul, feel free to subscribe, reply, or share.
Let’s reimagine travel as transformation — together.
Enrich your life as you enjoy the view.