Who put the fun in fundraising??

I believe I have an estimated $1,900 left to raise before I leave for Nepal on September 14th. I greatly underestimated the amount of time, work and extreme stress this ordeal would cost me. Fundraising is hard. Duh. Yet, I thought it would be a breeze, perhaps because I was told every volunteer (almost) always raises all the money needed and I didn't really need to worry too much. Either way, I am eternally indebted and at a loss of words to fully express my gratitude to the people in my life donating and following my travels. I find myself walking around with a smile and I am filled with appreciation and awe. 

Recently a few people interested in volunteering with ARP next year have asked for advice on fundraising. While I do not consider myself an expert at this and I question whether I will raise all the funds necessary; I can share what I've learned over the last few months. 

First of all, I annoyingly posted an endless amount of links on Facebook, probably to the vexation of my FB friends. Upon initial posting the money came rolling in! This was a deceiving occurrence, eventually most people donated and there were several weeks of stagnation. Nothing happened and I realized I had to work way harder. Now, I'd like to think that if I wasn't a full time student, taking board exams and struggling with 12-hour class/clinic days, that this might not have been so laborious, but I doubt it. The stress with school combined with the self-created stress of worrying about fundraising really put a damper on life. Every experience was a new opportunity to ask people for money, but I didn't. I created a motivational song to help myself- to the annoying tune of "Call Me Maybe" (Hey, I just met you and this is crazy, but here's my number, donate? Maybe?) No, I never actually sang it aloud and would berate myself when I felt I missed an opportunity to ask for money. 

I grew up in the south, where social formalities are widely followed. You don't talk about money, politics or religion. Therefore, asking new acquaintances for money? Way too taboo. Additionally, I'm not a schmoozer, you know, the type that seem to instantly build a rapport at initial meetings. My friend Katherine once said, in an attempt to explain my personality to someone I had not met, "Terry's great, she'll insult you within the first five minutes of meeting her, but you end up loving her!" Not everyone would find this endearing, but I do because it's true. 

I also heard tales of others holding grudges against those friends and family members opting not to donate. This could be a huge downfall and an unnecessary burden. I'll admit I was disappointed when people I thought would contribute did not, but the overwhelming number of people that did donate erased all unsupported feelings. I do not have the space to hold resentments and I am sure those who did not donate have their reasons and it's not up to me to judge. Instead I hold great admiration and love for each person contributing- from those donating $5 to $500. 

For many weeks I was stuck in a terrible state of uncertainty on what would be the most cost effective was to raise money. I didn't want to throw a party, which I think would have cost too much of my own money. Not to mention the embarrassment if no one showed up! Furthermore, I am not from Portland, so I don't have the established networking base. My friends are sprawled across the country and the people I do know in town are students, like me. We don't have any money. 

My saving grace was a gift card donated from Le Pigeon. My partner is one of the sous chefs there, so I had an in. Not to mention the restaurant maintains an outstanding reputation in town and has some of the best food I've ever tasted. When I received the gift card I figured I better do a raffle, but I needed more stuff to give away. 

I consider myself rather shy with people I don't know. After the first time I met my partners parents, his mother described me as quiet, to which my partner said- "are you sure you met Terry?" Needless to say, I take a minute to warm up to people, after which I guess you can't get me to shut up. The task of going places, explaining what I needed and waiting for a response terrified me to the point of insomnia. I chose places I would like gifts from and ventured out to ask for contributions. To my surprise, places were extremely nice about it. Some handed me a gift card on the spot, others gave me business cards to the marketing departments. The best and most surprising came from those around me. Being in acupuncture school linked me to acupuncturists, massage therapists and even a chiropractor. Each willing to donate a treatment! 

The last bit was finding people to buy the raffle tickets. Campus was the perfect place. I avoided asking people at school for donations directly to the ARP because I figured they were in the same boat as me. Penniless. But the raffle tickets took off! 

I also included a pre-stamped envelope and a note about the ARP with my graduation announcements. At this moment I can report I have only received one of those envelopes back, but I compulsively check the mail daily. Lastly, my parents and friends have helped tremendously. My dad tells everyone he works with and my friends post on Facebook and share emails. 

These are just the bits I've done and I'm sure the other volunteers have equally helpful tidbits and stories. I hope those considering volunteering are not deterred by fundraising. It's a challenge and not always fun, but I absolutely love the feeling I have when I see new donations or tell people about this organization. This feeling outweighs all the stress and anxiety associated with asking for money. It's profound, warm-and-fuzzy like a hug, it's a feeling of being loved.  

If you would like to donate to the Acupuncture Relief Project: HERE

OR you can mail a check to: 

Acupuncture Relief Project

C/O Terry Atchley
925 NW Hoyt St #523
Portland, OR 97209

The end is the beginning.

When I was little I loved the last day of school. The excitement from the completion of another year, the sheer  anticipation of three whole months of nothing, the sound of Alice Cooper's "School's Out" always playing on my radio. College graduation was equally exciting, with feelings of pride and accomplishment thrown in the mix and topped off with several nights of heavy drinking. Ah, the days of a quick recovery from too much booze. I do miss those days. With undergrad I was scared of entering the real world, but maintained an idealistic stance that anything was possible. Then Hurricane Katrina happened and nothing seemed possible. My path took several turns, most of which were completely unexpected and truly amazing. I can gladly say I spent my 20s sometimes aimless, sometimes driven, but mostly doing what I wanted as I saw fit. 

This year, not only did I turn 30, but I'm also graduating from a demanding masters program. Life as I have known it will never be the same. The last three years have been humbling, uplifting, torturous and at times joyful. I certainly did not have nearly as much fun as I did in my formative educational years. I feel like I am waiting for it all to sink in. The debt owed. The uncertainty of my future. The endless to-do lists running through my head. I feel preoccupied with the immediate tasks of fundraising, preparing to leave the country, filing out paperwork and writing checks for licensing. After Nepal I am going to SE Asia for three months to relax, see some cool sights, eat some exotic foods and recover. But what about right now? Am I missing it? Is it all passing me by? The magnitude of what has been accomplished is lost on me. I mentally checked out from school weeks ago. I've devoted the little free time I've had scheming on ways to ask people for money, a task which takes me miles from my comfort zone but has prepared me (a little) for becoming a small business owner. I'm preparing for the next step but terrified to take it. 

This week I'm trying to stay in the moment. It's challenging. There is a little voice in the back kicking up a stink about things I should be doing, but I am choosing to ignore it. Right now, for as long a possible, I am focused on this great achievement. I encourage all of you who are graduating with me to do the same. Let's relish in this for just a second, then continue on with that pesky to-do list.   

Trekking!

I'm taking a class on public health and today the lecture was on AIDS/HIV. In Africa and parts of Asia, AIDS is endemic, meaning it's found regularly in the community. Most of the children at the orphanage told me their parents died from AIDS. I heard rumors the disease traveled to Nepal through sex trafficking in India. Many times this disease is co-infected with Hepatitis B and tuberculosis (TB). TB with AIDS is the leading cause of AIDS related deaths worldwide. Apparently there are several types of TB, including types that are extremely drug resistant (this past month a total drug resistant form was discovered in India). 

Places without proper healthcare tend to have populations misusing the tuberculosis drug treatments. The treatment can last up to 9 months and the costs are significant. What does this matter? Can acupuncture cure these diseases? Well, no. We can't cure immune-compromising diseases. Fortunately, one of the requirements while I am at the clinic is to educate the local staff by teaching a class on blood borne pathogens and clean needle technique. The staff will then be able to educate the local community.   

In regards to treatment for AIDS, acupuncture can help patients by boosting their immune system, relieve the symptoms of the disease, and reduce the side effects from the medications. Although, in developing countries, I doubt patients diagnosed with HIV/AIDS receive the drug cocktails available in more developed countries. Acupuncture offers low cost treatment for various diseases, in contrast to western medicine which can use high cost medications to treat illness. Ideally, using eastern and western medicine would be the most effective form of treatment. At the clinic we are opening in Nepal, these patients are able to receive treatment free of cost. They can come every day, every week, for the entire time we are there and not pay a cent (or rupee as it were). 

I've been getting vaccines over the last few weeks, but diseases like TB, Hepatitis C and AIDS do not have a vaccine. I push these scary facts to the back of my head. But, having anything traumatic happen in a third world country is way worse than if it were to happen at home. I don't say this to be morose, but it is something to take into consideration. I am actively choosing to put myself in an at-risk population in order to help those who do not have access to healthcare. I am doing this because I want to. I can close my eyes at night and picture the faces of the children, the homeless begging and I want to help. Acupuncture is my medium and fundraising is how I will get there. Please consider making a donation. If you already donated, ask someone you know to donate. 

Donate HERE!

If the ARP website is having glitches, cash and check donations are always accepted!! Feel free to mail donations to:

Acupuncture Relief Project

C/O Terry Atchley

925 NW Hoyt St # 523

Portland, OR 97209

Checks can be made out to The Acupuncture Relief Project.

On to my favorite activity- trekking! The clinic will close for several days in honor of the Diwali festival, therefore we have time to trek in the Langtang region. I do not know much about this trek, but what I do know is we'd start at 1670m and hike up to 5050m, the trek will last about 10-days and go into the Himal region bordering Tibet. The Langtang valley is sandwiched between the main Himalayan range to the north and a slightly lower range of snowy peaks to the south. Langtang Lirung (7246m) dominates the valley to the north; Gang Chhenpo (6388m) and Naya Kanga ri (5846m) lie to the south; and Dorje Lakpa (6966m) protects the East end of the Valley. This high and isolated region is inhabited by Tamangs whose religious practices, language and dress are much more similar to those of Tibet than to the traditions of their cousins in the Middle Hills. By the way, this trek is paid for out-of-pocket, no donations are used to support the staff while the clinic is closed. 

Previously, I've hiked the Annapurna Circuit. This trail is a loop around the three Annapurna Mountains and generally takes people between 19 to 22 days to complete. Sadly, I hiked it in 14-days. I wish I had a good reason for plowing through this amazingly beautiful area of the world, but I don't. I hiked with someone who cared about speed and instead of speaking my peace, I harbored resentment and just kept going- furious the entire time. I will have three weeks at the end of my time in Nepal, I am considering re-hiking the circuit alone and at a pace which makes me happy. 

The Annapurna Circuit is considered one of the best treks in the world. I find this to be true.  The trek goes through four regions: Lamjung, Manang, Mustang and Myagdi. Lamjung and Myagdi are in the lower elevations, which are predominantly Hindu. The Manang and Mustang regions are in the higher elevations and predominantly Tibetan Buddhist.  The people of the Mustang region relate more to Tibet and this region has actually been part of Tibet through periods in history. There are some regions in the Mustang area that were not open to westerners until 2005! 

The trek itself was like nothing I'd ever done before. The trails link all the villages and currently a road is being built. The road is detrimental to the hikers and a catch-22. The hikers hate walking the dusty road while lazy travelers zoom by in jeeps. But the road will make access to these areas easier for locals and will increase the tourism to the villages whose economy is based on travelers. Luckily, not all of the trail is turning into a road and there are times when seeing these mountains for the first time I felt like a new explorer. Often when I hike my mind clears of the muck, which is probably why I love doing it so much. I wonder what the first people to ever see these areas thought and what much of the world looked like before people came and changed the terrain. I loved hiking in the Himalayas because not much of the terrain has changed, at least in the higher elevations. Even the villages I walked through look as if they haven't changed since they were built. The one thing I found interesting was all the German bakeries popping up. Nothing is better than a fresh baked chocolate croissant at 14,000 feet. 

I look forward to hiking the new areas of Nepal I've never seen before. Please take a moment to donate to the ARP and thanks for reading. 

Also, here is a short 3-minute video about what I'll be doing in Nepal!

Video!

Flights and festivals

I'd like to begin this weeks blog entry with gratitude. To all of you who read the last entry: Thank you very much! Please remember to donate or encourage others to do so! Even $5 dollars makes a difference, I promise. I'm grateful for any amount, but if you felt like donating $500+ you'll be my personal hero.

Donate HERE!

This week I'd like to include a few memories about arriving in Nepal and some basic historical information about the country's festivals.

Lately, I've been having a difficult time wrapping my brain around this trip. I have a point of reference in regards to arrival and the bombardment of immediate stimulation, but I lack more knowledge of what to expect work-wise. I took a roundabout way of getting to Nepal the first time. I'd heard from a friend that Qatar Airlines was the best. Therefore, I decided to fly from Portland to NYC, NYC to Doha, Doha to Kathmandu. Yes, this was almost the longest way to get there, but the airline was amazing and I was able to fly over the crazy man-made palm tree shaped islands in the Middle East and spend the night in Qatar. So, I found the arduous flight justifiable.

This is me sleeping in the airport during my layover...

As the last leg of the flight began the descent into Kathmandu, the Himalayan mountains were hiding in clouds, so I focused on the city below. The lower we descended the more I realized I had no idea what I was getting into. Cows leisurely roamed across the runways, while tuk tuks overfilled with people zoomed past pedestrians on discombobulated roads. A thick layer of smog settled low in the valley as the plane landed and I slowly walked into a rustic airport.

I don't recall much of customs, but I remember walking out thinking it was pretty light. The shock came outside when I was accosted by hundreds of taxi drivers asking me in broken english where I was going and picking up my bags before I could answer. When I told them firmly no, another groups would come over and try. Bartering is common, prices are never what's listed and Nepalese expect you to negotiate. I hated this part. I'm not a good at it and in a country where people have nothing, I'd rather pay the asking price and be done with it. But, I'm also a cheap traveler who doesn't like spending more on transportation or lodging. I finally settled on a taxi, told him where I needed to go and set off on the first of many terrifying rides. This time I'm traveling to Nepal with two other ARP volunteers and a member of the organization is meeting us at the Kathmandu airport. I'm glad I won't have to choose a taxi.

This is about where my knowledge of what to expect ends. I know we will spend a day or two in Kathmandu to recover from jet-lag and sightsee, then it's an abyss. For someone who spends 90% of her brainpower on daydreaming, I struggle to come up with a scenario of what this experience will be like. What will all the members of our team be like? Will we get along well? What will the interpreters and patients be like? What will be the most common ailment? Will I know how to treat it? And those aren't even half the questions running through my head. It can be overwhelming at times, but that's what makes this adventure exciting, new and invigorating. These are the feelings I live for with travel.

During our time in Kogate, the Dasain (or Dashain) and Diwali (or Deepawali) festivals will occur. The Dasain Festival is a 15-day celebration commemorating the victories of the god and goddesses over demons, symbolizing victory of good over evil. The first nine days of the festival symbolize the battle between the goddess Durga and the demon Mahishasura. On the tenth day Durga defeats Mahishasura and is worshipped as the divine mother goddess. Each day patrons pay homage to various forms of the Divine Goddess. It is believed if she is worshipped properly and is pleased then good luck will happen, but if she is neglected misfortune will occur. This year the festival will begin on October 5th and complete on October 19th. I hope our clinic will be able to participate in some way, I can't handle misfortune from a displeased goddess.
 

The Diwali Festival is known as the Festival of Lights and generally falls between mid-October and mid-November. Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year for Hindus and is considered an official holiday in Nepal and India. Diwali translates to "row of lamps" and part of the celebration involves lighting heaps of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps burn through the night to invite the goddess Lakshmi. Diwali marks the end of the harvest season and Lakshmi is honored with puja, which is an expression of honor, worship and devotional attention. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead.



The Diwali festival maintains a spiritual significance due to the "awareness of the inner light". Hindu mythology maintains a belief of something beyond the physical body and mind that is pure and eternal, called Atman. The celebration of Diwali as the "victory of good over evil" referring to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance that masks one's true nature as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and awareness of the oneness of all things. This brings anand (joy or peace). Diwali is the celebration of inner light, similar to the celebration of the birth of a physical being. Essentially, it's a long birthday celebration of your inner light.

Both of these festivals occurred during my time at the orphanage. The children stayed home from school for over a week for both festivals. During Diwali I was forced to walk to each house in the neighborhood with the children cheering behind me and beating drums. After the children knocked on the front door I was supposed to dance, while families put money in a bowl for the kids. This was such an awkward and hilarious experience. Men dance much more than women in Nepal and there was a choreographed dance I didn't know. My impromptu dance moves were mostly just laughed at and the children refused to dance along side me. I hope I don't have to endure this again!

During the Diwali festival our clinic will close for several days. At that time, we are invited to go on a trek in the Langtang area. This is an area of the Himalayas northeast of Kathmandu. The trek lasts about 7 days and climbs up to about 16,000 feet. But, I'll include more on my favorite subject, trekking, next week. So stay tuned and thanks for reading.