Pema Choling
The monastery is incredible. I wake up to the sound of the monk chanting in the room above mine and splash my face with water on the way to the kitchen to start the day with a cup of hot…
Category Stories
A New Home in the Clouds
Several times today I stopped and thought about how this entire experience seems surreal. I had no idea what to expect, but when our plane soared out of the clouds and I saw those first snow-capped peaks my heart jumped…
“Nepal Falls Into Political Turmoil” – (But I’m Alive!)
The Wall Street Journal May 29, 2012 KATMANDU, Nepal—Nepal sank into political turmoil Monday after lawmakers failed to agree on a new constitution, leaving the country with no legal government. The premier called new elections, but critics said he lacked…
Hard Goodbyes
I never knew how hard it could be to say goodbye to people you don’t know if you will ever see again. I have spent eight months here working and living with the people of Chandelao, including my dear host…
The Hostel
I’m sitting on the roof – my favorite place in the hostel, especially at sunrise. This is the fourth floor. Its concrete walls are about 3.5 feet tall, and a light pink salmon color – like the rest of the…
Kathmandu by Night – A Whole Different City
It’s 4:30 am Kathmandu time – exactly 13 hours and 45 minutes ahead of my family on the West Coast. For some reason Nepal declared its time zone precisely 15 minutes ahead of India. I can’t sleep, perhaps because I…
In Hopes of Leaving Kathmandu
It’s everywhere: More filth than I’ve ever seen. I can’t get used to it. I don’t want to get used to it. I’ve never been so eager to get out of a city. There is trash – piles of it…
Things I Learned in India
People travel to India in search of themselves and seeking spiritual enlightenment from the yogis, gurus, sadhus, and Buddha. More and more often women are trying and “Eat, Pray, Love”’ approach to travel as they search for these things while…
First Night in Kathmandu
A girl came to open the door for Mr. Bhagwan and I when we arrived at the hostel nearing 11 pm on Saturday. Her name is Alex; she’s from Sydney, Australia, and we share a room in the hostel. It’s…
Arriving
It was warm when I stepped off the plane. Like most Asian airports at night, the Kathmandu terminal was dimly lit and sparsely populated. I filled out a visa application and watched as it, along with my passport and receipt…