I interviewed my grandmother about her journey from Tibet to Nepal.

“It was a very tumultuous time. Everything was in chaos and our country was disappearing and luckily our last hope had survived. Our people were dying and even the innocent monks were being beaten down. “(She is referring to the Dalai lama, the spiritual and political head of Tibet when she says “our last hope” who escaped imprisonment in Tibet in 1959.)

“So your grandfather and I decided it was time to escape Tibet after we realized it was no longer safe for our family here in Tibet. It was the one of the worst days of my life, second only to the passing of your grandfather. We packed our things and we together with some other friends escaped through the Himalayan Mountains and crossed over to Tibet early in the morning. “

“I remember that I took one last look at our land before finally crossing over to Nepal only to realize that this may be the last time I ever see my homeland. So I looked and I tried to memorize everything that I could see so that someday I could tell my children and their children about just how beautiful our land really was.”

That’s when I promised her that someday I’ll tell my children about our beautiful country.