On our first night in Thimphu, after we had eaten dinner, we visited the Summer Youth Festival, which was to celebrate young Bhutanese singers and dancers. The Festival also promoted education around disease awareness, prevention, and treatment. When we arrived, there were a few groups of elementary and high school students performing dances that incorporated both traditional Bhutanese dance and modern dance styles. There was also a tent to provide traditional medicine services, and there was a doctor who spoke about disease awareness.

I think this festival really helped us realize just how similar we are to the Bhutanese youth, because even though we live in places on opposite sides of the world, our music taste and popular styles of dance are so similar. Overall, it was really fun to be able to just enjoy the music and dance.

— Josephine D.