When the Village Calls: Milk, Mourning, and Leaving

After returning from the nunnery, Borghild settles back into the silence of the gompa in Mustang. The mornings are cold, the routines are simple, and the body is tired from the altitude, the winter conditions, and the constant practical work of staying warm, fed, and grounded.Even in the stillness, the mind keeps moving. There is already a flight booked from Delhi back to Norway, but everything between Mustang and that departure is still open. The mind circles many possibilities. And underneath all of it, another question appears: does she really want to leave this place?Then the phone rings.What begins as a simple call from the village for milk opens into something much deeper: a family in mourning, a weekly ritual for the woman’s father who has died, tea and homemade biscuits, an unexpected connection, and a conversation with her son, a young monk home from Dehradun.Through this visit, something happens. Not only in the mind, but around her. Weather, transport, food running low, her painful back, and the changing rhythm of village life all gathers around the same truth: leaving has already begun, even before Borghild has fully agreed to it.This episode stays with that movement. The pull to stay, the pull to go, the body preparing before the mind has decided, and the way life sometimes arranges the next step before we fully understand it.In this episode we exploreReturning to silence after the nunneryBorghild returns to the rhythm of gompa life: cold mornings, butter lamp, coffee, chapati, simple food, and the relief of nights undisturbed by mice.The mind moving in stillnessEven in deep silence, the mind continues to search for answers. Travel decisions, open possibilities, and the question of leaving begin to move in the background.The body’s tirednessThe cold is no longer only outside. It has moved into the body. The back tightens, warmth takes hours to return, and the physical reality of winter in Mustang begins to shape the decision.The call from the villageAfter a long silence, the phone rings. A familiar invitation for milk becomes the doorway into another layer of village life.Mourning, ritual, and family lifeBorghild learns that the woman’s father has died. The gathering she had seen from a distance now makes sense as part of the mourning and weekly puja.Connection beyond languageTea, biscuits, milk, vegetables, oranges, smiles, and simple presence become their own form of communication. Even without fully understanding each other, something is shared.Meeting the son from DehradunThe arrival of the woman’s son, a young monk who speaks fluent English, opens a new thread of conversation, understanding, and practical help.When leaving begins before we decideFood is running low. The weather is shifting. The body is tired. Transport begins to organise itself. Borghild notices that the decision to leave has already started moving in her body and surroundings before the mind has fully caught up.ListenA companion for walking, resting, travelling, or pausing in the middle of a day.A simple reflection to take with youThere may be something in your life right now that you cannot fully explain yet.A feeling, nudge or a hesitation. A pull toward something or a resistance to staying where you are.Before rushing to decide, pause and notice what is already there.What has already begun moving in you?A quote to remember“Leaving had already begun in my body and mind long before I had fully agreed to it.”In the next episodeBorghild finds herself in Muktinath, surrounded by pilgrims, travellers, donkeys, and village life, wondering why she is leaving a place that feels like home.Follow & ShareIf this episode offered you a breath of relief, a moment of clarity, or simply the courage to keep going, please follow the show on your favourite platform and share it with someone who might need it.Every small act of support helps this work reach further.Stay ConnectedExplore Borghild's work and resources.Follow Borghild on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for more refelctions, inspiration and updates.Borghild was also recently featured in an online magazine, sharing some of her journey and connection to Nepal. You can read it here.Note / DisclaimerThis podcast is for education and personal growth. It is not therapy or a substitute for professional mental health care.