Tibet photo by reurinkjan.

Whitewashed temple walls embellished with vibrant artwork taper off into red dust.

prayer flags in the Himalaya

The land beyond the temple falls sharply into green grasslands speckled with herds of horses, goats and cows, until the plains reach the river that cuts this valley in two.

The wind is unyielding. It can be pleasant when mixed with rays of the sun.

Snow mountains peak out from behind the clouds.

Where am I?

I have been living in monasteries and nunneries.

Life in these places is deceptively simple, and the idea that devout souls lead a magical existence is quickly thrown to the wind that whips around robes and rubs cheeks rosy.

Monks ride away from evening prayer on their motorbikes; nuns chatter away on their cellphones.

Himalayan Studies Semester

Where am I?

The days seem to continue on forever, and yet time does not drag.

I am kept constantly busy and only realize the slow quality of time when I have a moment to stop, sit, and reflect.

The sun rises earlier and sets later in the mountains. My mornings begin with the sounds of young nuns rising early to practice their chants.

In the city, my evenings end with strolls down the dusty tree-lined streets that have been decked out with lights. It feels almost like Christmas, and so I sing carols.

Another Side Of China

I am surrounded by people who look vastly different from the Chinese I have met thus far. I am in an area that is primarily inhabited by Tibetan and Hui (muslim) minorities.

Traditional garb is the norm. Men’s hair is longer and of a different texture. Women’s clothing is more functional rather than stylish.

Himalayan art

A nun who lives alone on top of a mountain welcomed me into her home and stuffed me full of seeds and peanuts.

A monk, fascinated with technology, earned the nickname “modern old man” among his friends.

A hostess in my favorite restaurant played with my hair and marveled at watches and jewelry.

A man who has studied Tangka (traditional Buddhist artwork) for 28 years happily led me around his studio.

Where am I?

I am content. I love waking up every morning, excited to be here and anticipating what the day has in store.

The mountainous air has a cleansing quality and I feel calm. Although speaking in a foreign tongue is challenging and constant travel is tiring, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Where am I?

I’m still trying to figure it out but, wherever I am, I feel incredibly lucky to be here.

Dragons group in a Tibetan monastery.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION!

The author recently completed a semester abroad in China with Where There Be Dragons.

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Matador members believe they can change the world, and they’re out there doing it every day.

Sure, we publish the same sorts of articles you find in print publications, but these articles are just window-dressing. The editor in me cringes, but it’s true.

But no matter what we write, the most important part of Matador is the community. Whenever I need a little stoke, I browse Matador member profiles. I’m always awed by the sheer human optimism in this remarkable community.

Thank you so much for inspiring us.

Here are 10 incredible members of the Matador community. To meet the other 40 featured travelers, please follow the links at the bottom of this page.

Punchy

I travel to ride the many different waves of the world. Not only surfing swells in the ocean but riding the different waves of energy given off by every place and everyone I encounter along the way. No two waves are the same, and discovering how the wave works is what makes me want to travel.
Punchy’s full profile

VickyElizabeth

I want to make a difference by creating something that wasn´t there before, or revealing something that always was there, but was hidden from sight. Figuring out how to do the same for myself.

I felt the most immersed in a foreign culture when the women of the Ecuadorian village sang sad Arrullos to bid me farewell, after a month-long stay in the jungle. We walked slowly round the whole village and it was pouring with tropical rain, they said it was their tears.
VickiElizabeth’s full profile

Salcar

My full name is Salvador Carlucci. I just moved (last week) to Switzerland where I’ll be working as Senior Manager for Global Marketing and Sales for a big pharmaceutical company. I joined Matador during it’s infancy and it has been a great pleasure to see it grow and find like minded individual that feed my appetite of adventure.

Now, with a new job, new home town and new responsibilities it will be hard to find vacation time in the near future so Matador provides the perfect medium to travel vicariously among other “crazy” members of this amazing community!
Salcar’s full profile

MST

I’m usually on the road solo and travel very light; a solar backpack with a few changes of clothes is ’round about all I need. And one whisper of a fantastic off-grid meal will change my entire travel plan (as if there ever was one).
MST’s full profile

Asian Insights

I’m fired up on funding projects to help underprivileged communities. Help to preserve unique cultures. Enjoy languages, writing travel stories, learning about other cultures, photography and the arts. I love the mountains and the endless, peaceful stretches of Tibet and Mongolia.

I felt the most immersed in a foreign culture when I stay with local people, who invite me to sleep in their kitchens.
Asian Insights’ full profile

AliCat

I like to travel in small, intimate groups. I’m learning to travel lightly and am finding my possessions more and more unnecessary. I love learning and always have an open mind.

I want to make a difference by always showing compassion and empathy, keeping an open mind, seeing beauty in everything, staying positive.
AliCat’s full profile

Reed Lindsay

I want to make a difference by telling the truth, exposing corruption, abuse of power, exploitation, and always staying on the side of the poor and oppressed against the rich and powerful.
Reed Lindsay’s full profile

Oona Fay

I have always been a dreamer and fashion embodies the dreams of those who refuse to conform and instead, celebrates their uniqueness. I am a sucker for Aussie accents or any accent for that matter, Jameson Whiskey, and anything to do with fashion.

I was planning on hightailing it out of the states this summer to start grad school in Australia, but my bank account didn’t seem to agree. So for now am at home going stir crazy and trying to save up the funds to make that possible.

I’m killing time as a freelance fashion stylist and write for a local magazine and newspaper and I am always down for a challenge and will pretty much try anything once.
Oona Fay’s full profile

Our Man In Shanghai

I am a person that knows life is too short and have taken to travelling and working around the world. I have recently left Toronto for a first stop in Shanghai. I am a social networker who enjoys meeting people and I am always interested in learning more about local cultures and economies.

My real name is Peter Davison and I am working on finding interesting writing related projects in China.

Matador Travel has allowed me to find a cool blog space and expand on my portfolio of paid travel writing articles via the traveler’s notebook.
Our Man in Shanghai’s full profile

Sarah Menkedick

I think Matador is a great site, and I like the emphasis on community and on making connections between people, places and organizations.

I would like to see a bit more criticism of travel on the site–perhaps on travel myths that exist, or on ways in which travel sometimes acts as more of a self-congratulatory experience for Westerners than as a way to really force oneself to confront other ways of thinking.

I believe travel has amazing potential to change the world; but I also think that travel in and of itself is not enough, and that travelers also need to be very critical and self-aware of the ways in which they approach and analyze other cultures.

I think Matador would make a great forum for these kinds of discussions, since it brings together so many people that really believe in travel as a way of seeing, a way of life, and a way of connecting.
– Sarah Menkedick

To meet more Matador members, please follow the links below:

Travelers 1-10 at MatadorTrips.com
Travelers 11 – 20 at BraveNewTraveler.com
Travelers 21 – 30 at TheTravelersNotebook.com
Travelers 41 – 50 at Matador.org

Community Connection

These are only 50 out of thousands of travelers in our community. Who else should get a mention? Big them up in the comments, and if you haven’t yet, link up with us.