1/5/12 12:52 pm in Kathmandu
For anyone making travel resolutions for 2012, try what Paulo Coelho says here. There really is no other way to really travel, explore, and live. And trust me, it works!
11/24/11 11:21 pm in Pokhara
Thanksgiving dinner alone in Pokhara, Nepal, thousands of miles away from friends and family. But this year I am thankful for:
- New adventures like jumping off a cliff for acrobatic paragliding with hawks and vultures
- The chance to run around Kathmandu in hiking boots for a year trying to make a difference for trafficked children and their families
- People who support me and get me through tough times with Starbucks Via, Skype calls, traveling 20,000 miles total to spend 8 days covered in dust in Nepal with me, Thanksgiving eCard, etc.
- And of course little pleasant surprises along the way like finding good sweet and sour chicken in Nepal in place of turkey and cranberry sauce.
I wake up every morning knowing just how lucky I am to have all this and more in my life. Tonight, I am staring out my window, looking at a beautiful night sky where I can’t tell where the stars end and the campfires / village candlelights in the Himalayan range start, hoping these sparks of light carry my gratitude to you, wherever you are in this world. Thank you for making my life so beautiful!
The Bridge Between Business and Non-Profit
11/21/11 11:57 am in Kathmandu
While it sounds totally crazy that I went from consulting to MBA to investment banking to non-profit before going back to consulting next year, Heather shared with me an article that explains my insanity: http://www.fortefoundation.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cc_feature_nonprofits. The article is so right about never having worked as hard I have here at NGN (yes, even including investment banking!) This is all so challenging, heartbreaking yet rewarding, making all the hard work and sacrifices completely worthwhile.
Waiting
11/12/11 12:55 am in Kathmandu
I was sitting on the roof of the Karnali Home in the late afternoon sun, staring hard down the path leading to the home, waiting for the kids to come back. I had been away from Kathmandu for 2 weeks, and missed the kids terribly. As soon as I got back to Nepal, I knew I had to go to surprise them. I wanted to wait for them to get home from school. And I wasn’t going to leave until I see each one of them and tell them how much I missed them.
As the minutes go by, the sun dipped a bit lower towards the horizon, the wind blew a bit stronger, and I couldn’t help but get more anxious, impatient (and cold!) to see my favorite kids in the whole wide world. I kept glancing at my watch. Is it broken? Why do the minutes seem so much longer? Why is the sun setting so quickly? Why aren’t they home yet? Don’t they feel me waiting for them, perhaps through osmosis? Would they get back quicker if they had known I was there waiting?
Fresh Eyes
10/27/11 5:00pm from DEL
You know you’ve been in Nepal for too long when you get to India and marvel at everything. Wow, the airport is so clean! The people even look taller (only barely, just enough for me, 5’5”, to not feel like a giant). The bus from the plane to the gate feels so smooth, so safe, so luxurious, so modern! There are clearly written signs. There is air-conditioning!
And the bathrooms. Don’t get me started on the bathrooms. They are so clean and dry. There are trashcans in each stall! Automatic faucet? Automatic soap dispenser? Paper towels? Yes, yes, and yes please!!
