I knew that I wanted to use a month of my summer to travel, and am so happy I found VIN. During my stay at Buddhist Monastery, I got a real look into the lives of Tibetan monks, from their favorite foods to how they like to spend their holidays to what kinds of things they like to joke about. The experience really humanized monks for me, and now they’re individual people and not just an intangible concept of a lifestyle. I had no idea what to expect before arriving, but was glad I kept an open mind and let the whole experience in. I’m profoundly grateful to all of my students who motivated me to get up early every morning and grade quizzes, and I loved seeing them progress. Even if I never see them again, I made friends for a lifetime during my month at the monastery, and loved every minute of it.