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After a month living among the mountains of Baltistan, this chapter comes to an end. In this video, I finish writing the final pages of my first novel, *The Soul That Wandered East*, from a remote cabin in the mountains of Pakistan. Along the way, I spend time learning the Balti language, witness the rare Himalayan brown bear in Deosai National Park, and reflect on a month that has changed me more than I ever expected. What was meant to be a short visit became one of the most meaningful periods of my life. From the kindness of local families and Eid celebrations, to quiet moments in valleys few people have heard of, Baltistan has left a mark on me that I know will stay forever. Thank you for joining me on this journey. Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan Instagram: @itsjaypalfrey Beyond Border Expeditions: beyondborderexpeditions.com The Soul That Wandered East: Available September 10, 2026 #Pakistan #Skardu #Baltistan #Deosai #HimalayanBrownBear #TravelDocumentary #AdventureTravel #GilgitBaltistan #Balti #BookWriting #TravelVlog #PakistanTravel #JayPalfrey
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0:00
Hello my wonderful friends, welcome back to beautiful Baltistan
0:03
I'm very sad to say that this is my final week here in the mountains. In this video I want to take you through my week
0:10
I want to show you what I get up to as I enjoy and soak in the final moments
0:14
in one of the most extraordinary corners of the world. More than anything though, this video is a reflection on a month
0:20
that made me fall even deeper in love with this country. Enjoy
0:25
I'm on my way to a cabin deep in the mountains of Pakistan to write the final pages of my first book
0:31
I could finish it anywhere, a hotel room, an airport, on a plane
0:35
but it just never felt right. This story was born from years of wandering
0:39
through places that changed me, and no country has shaped that journey more than Pakistan
0:43
I've returned here again and again. I kept returning because of how this country makes me feel
0:48
because here I've experienced some of the deepest moments of connection, wonder, kindness, and reflection of my entire life
0:55
So it feels fitting that a book built upon those experiences should end here too
1:23
Whoa! Throughout my life, people told me I was too sensitive, too emotional, too affected by things that others seemed able to brush aside
1:49
too invested in moments that were supposed to be ordinary. For a long time, I believed them
1:53
I thought sensitivity was something I needed to overcome, something that made life harder than it needed to be
2:00
something that left me vulnerable in a world that often seemed to reward distance and detachment
2:05
But somewhere along the road, I began to understand something quite different. What they called sensitivity was actually my greatest gift, because while feeling deeply can hurt deeply
2:15
it also allows you to experience the world in ways that cannot be measured or replicated
2:19
It's why, for me, a sunset can feel like a revelation, why a stranger's kindness can stay with me for years
2:25
why a mountain rage can feel almost alive, why a goodbye can echo in my memories long after the words are spoken
2:32
and why standing alone beneath towering peaks can bring me to tears. I've never experienced the world at arm's length, I have always stepped into it completely
2:40
The world has never simply been something I just moved through, it has been something I completely absorbed
2:45
and because I felt everything so deeply those moments never truly left me they became stories
2:51
and they became this book now looking out across these mountains I realized that this book exists
2:56
because of the very thing I once thought was a weakness 310 pages born from feeling too much from noticing details others overlooked from caring about moments that many would often forget from allowing experiences to reach places within me that logic never could
3:13
Because feeling this deeply has given me a life so rich with colour, meaning, connection and wonder
3:19
It has transformed places into memories, memories into stories and stories into this book
3:24
so perhaps I was never too sensitive, perhaps I was simply paying attention
3:29
As I write these final words surrounded by the silence of these mountains and the Milky Way graciously crossing the sky, I feel grateful
3:37
grateful for every moment that moved me, grateful for every feeling I was told was too much
3:43
They led me to unforgettable people and extraordinary stories. They gave me stories worth telling and ultimately they gave me this book
3:54
So here in Baltistan
4:24
And they speak the language of Balti. And it's one of the oldest surviving Tibetan languages
4:29
And it's been spoken up here in the mountains for centuries. This language is a rich and integral part of the culture here
4:37
The deep-rooted culture here. And, inshallah, one day I can learn it. Asif
4:43
Yes, bro. Come. Okay, this is Asif. This is one of my close friends here
4:48
Hello. In Skardu. I want to learn Balti. Yes, please. Teach me
4:52
Yeah, sure. Teach me something. So how do I say hello? Hello, you can say salam
4:59
How are you? Chi hal yud. Chi hal yud. Chi hal yud
5:08
Chi hal yud. Yeah. Chi hal yud. If I'm saying how are you to a guy, a brother
5:13
Chi hal yud kaka. Chi hal yud kaka. Kaka means brother. Okay
5:20
And how do I say where are you from? Yang Garna In
5:24
Yang Garna In Yang Garna In And I would say I'm from England
5:30
Nga Ngha England Na In Nga England Nga In Na England England Na In
5:38
Na England Na In It sounds very Mandarin Like Chinese language How do I say
5:46
I want to move here to Skadu I want to live here
5:50
It's very hard. Yeah. One word a time. Okay start again Hello salaam Assalamu alaikum How are you Chihalyut Chihalyut Yeah
6:13
Oh, my name is Jay. How do I say this? Ni mintakpo jayin. Ni... Ni..
6:19
Ni mintakpo jayin. Ni mintakpo jayin. Jayin. Yeah. Ni mintakpo jayin. Ni mintakpo jayin
6:27
Ni mintakpo jayin. Ni mintakpo jayin. J in N means my Minta means name
6:37
J in my name is J Ok, how do I say thank you
6:43
Thank you, Bakshish How do I say goodbye? Allah Hafiz Goodbye Khudai Fakrin
6:51
Goodbye is? Khudai Fakrin That sounds Persian Khudah Hafiz is Persian So
7:01
Balti is taking different images, right? From Persian... Wow! Amazing! I have just arrived into Deosai National Park, a phenomenal area of the world
7:10
I'll tell you more information about this park later, but for now we've just entered into the area of the Himalayan brown bear
7:17
A critically endangered species with only 70 to 80 roaming this plateau
7:22
We're just picking up a local guide who is an expert in searching for these Himalayan brown bears
7:28
and we're going to see if we can search for them you need a permit to enter into this area of course
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throughout this journey we're going to keep a safe distance and we're going to do our best to not
7:37
disturb these beautiful creatures let's go i don't think there's any chance you can hear me but just
7:49
across this river is the himalayan brown bear this is a endangered species of animal just across this
7:58
river. I'm gonna try and see if I can get a close shot. The weather is really bad, it's very cold
8:04
there's snow falling from the sky. And of course this glacier river is the Himalayan brown bear
8:12
I cannot believe I'm stood here watching this. He's jumping across the river. Wow
8:28
Thank you
8:58
The When I arrived in Baltistan a month ago I wasn supposed to stay this long
9:22
But then again, that's what this place does to me. What started as another trip slowly became something much more
9:29
Over the last month, I've ridden through the meadows of Bilimik, I've wandered through the forests of Bashur
9:33
I've stood beneath the giant granite walls of Nangmaw Valley, and watched the Himalayan brown bears roam freely across the plains of Deosai National Park
9:41
I celebrated Eid with Asiya's family. We shared meals together, laughed until my stomach hurt
9:46
experienced moments of kindness and generosity that reminded me what really matters in life
9:51
And somewhere amongst all of that, I finished my first book, 310 pages
9:56
a story that traveled with me across countries, airports, mountains, and years of my life
10:01
finally came to an end here, surrounded by the landscapes that inspired so much of it
10:05
The strange thing is, when I think back on this month, it's not the mountains I remember the most, it's the feeling
10:11
The conversations in the small villages, the endless cups of chai that turned into hours of stories
10:16
and the feeling of being welcomed back somewhere for the 20th time and realizing it still feels as special as the first
10:23
I think that's why I've struggled to leave, because Baltistan stopped feeling like somewhere I was simply traveling through
10:28
It started feeling like somewhere I wanted to keep staying for the rest of my life
10:32
Every year I come here I fall a little deeper in love with this corner of the world
10:36
Not because it's perfect, because it's far from perfect, it's raw It's because it feels real
10:42
The mountains are spectacular, of course, some of the most beautiful I've seen anywhere on earth
10:47
But it's the people that keep bringing me back The friendships I've developed here, the warmth
10:52
The feeling that no matter how different our backgrounds are We all understand the same thing when we sit together around a meal
10:58
Watch a sunset or share stories from our lives I wasn't supposed to stay this long, but somewhere between Bilimik, Bashu, Nangma, Deosai, Eid celebrations and the final pages of my book, I completely forgot about my plan
11:11
I simply stayed because I wasn't ready to leave. And as I speak this to you right now, I'm still not ready to leave
11:19
And now, as these mountains stand before me one last time, I realize something. After 20 visits to Pakistan, I still haven't reached the bottom of what this country has to offer
11:27
There are still stories to hear. There are still friendships to build. And there are still places waiting around the next corner
11:34
So I guess this isn't really goodbye. It's just another reason to come back
11:40
And I hope, I hope from the bottom of my heart, inshallah
11:44
that next time I come back, it won't be for such a short period of time
11:48
You might be thinking one month is a long period of time. But for me, this one month has flown by so fast that it's making me emotional thinking about leaving once again
11:58
Thank you so, so much for watching this video and thank you so much for the support on the previous videos here in Pakistan
12:06
My journey across the world continues and I hope at the end of next month I will be back in my favorite place on earth
12:14
Thank you, my friends
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