Walking with my Spirit Friend.
It was day six of walking in the Manaslu region of Nepal. After a fierce rainy night, the soft early morning clouds were still resting on the mountain tops and ridges, being cradled and protected by their strength. We started our walk accompanied by a gentle drizzle, not knowing whether it would mature into a heavy downpour. Mountain life is full of surprises and one has to welcome them with open arms.
I had woken up in a melancholic mood that day, and after three hours of walking through steep terrain, I was exhausted. Happy to reach Ghap for lunch, I took the weight off my back, but continued to feel weighed down. A short, restless nap, and a warm, freshly cooked dal bhaat managed to lift my spirits a tiny bit, but the thought of walking for another four hours to our final stop for the day felt daunting. I dug deep and gathered some courage, and on the trail again, a conversation that a dear work friend Naomi and I had, came to mind. We had talked about spirit animals — imaginary friends that sat on your shoulders, and carried you in your difficult times. An angel, a friend, a companion of sorts. A selfless soul. My friend Naomi had one — her kitty cat that passed away sometime ago. “I wish I had a spirit animal right now,” I thought to myself. A snow leopard, perhaps?
My mind wandered, but I was quickly brought back to the trail as a white dog bounded excitedly towards us from the other direction. I couldn’t believe my eyes — how did this just happen?! His tail wagged with love, and his eyes were full of joy. Did someone hear me? Did someone send him for me? He was going the other way on the trail, so would he turn around and walk with us?
Our guide, Nawangji, gave our new friend a few sips of water, but he wasn’t really interested. Whatever it was, it seemed like the dog had made up his mind to walk with us. His joyful stride made me forget my own discomfort, and his goofy mannerisms made us laugh. When he walked behind me, I could literally feel his nose rubbing against my calf. He was adventurous for sure — running in and out of the rhododendron forest, disappearing as he chased monkeys and birds, but always coming back to us. He even waited for us if we slowed down, impatiently looking back until we caught up. I felt his energy, his zest for life. His eyes were special, and his soft furry body was covered with weeds of all shapes and sizes.
Steel cable suspension bridges have replaced the old wooden bridges all over Nepal, and though these bridges are safe, they can be scary if you’re a dog! I noticed he was afraid every time we had to cross one. He would crouch close to the ground before the start of the bridge and watch nervously as the river gushed noisily dozens of feet beneath. I wondered what went through his mind. A friend who had taken away my pain and fears, was working hard to overcome his. The least I could do was give him my attention and support, and wait for him. And so I did at every bridge.
With a dog so fun and lovable, time literally flew by. N and I had already made plans to get him a packet of biscuits once we reached Namrung as a gesture of our gratitude. But as soon as we reached our village for the night, he disappeared! Just as quickly as he had appeared almost four hours ago, he was gone! We looked all over, but couldn’t find a trace. His disappearance confirmed what we were both thinking — we had just met an angel. I found my spirit animal. His goal all along was simply to get us to our destination safely, and with his mission accomplished, he had simply vanished. Exhausted from the walking, and with a heavy heart from losing a new friend, we retired to bed.
But the story doesn’t end here! I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, and in my half-asleep state, I noticed something shining in the moonlight outside our room. At first, I thought it was a pile of our backpacking gear. But then as I looked closer, I was dumbfounded. Could it really be him? Could he really have found our room? YES, SOMEHOW HE HAD! Fast asleep, probably dreaming his doggie dreams, he lay out there, close to his new friends. I couldn’t believe it. He had found us again, and our journey together had not yet ended. Either someone up there was playing a prank on me, or as Naomi had said — spirit animals truly exist. They’re for real.
