Staying near the heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Kathmandu is magical. Although the Bouddha area is far from central, it's worth it. Every day I am swept into a constantly flowing river of spiritual practice. Buddhists turn out by the hundreds every morning to walk...
Hong Kong is always hazy. The amalgam of smog and cloud never seems to depart, at least during the times of year that I fly through. Its thickness varies, but the haze is ever-present. Today, the airports geometric walls of glass face mountains barely outlined in the...
I didn't know how much I needed this thing called home, but I steeped myself in it, gratefully, joyfully, gluttonously. Home is a place of refuge, and I was ready to take shelter. In May, it felt like the years of travel had suddenly caught up with me. That, and a...
Morning in Nepal is peaceful, sort of. There's the tolling of bells, the barking of dogs, the whirring of water pumps, the clanking of construction, the beeps of motorcycles, the chatter of children, the droning of prayers, the hollering of mothers, the thunking of...
Around 9am, shops open, and the day picks up speed. I need to buy $5,000 in jewelry in a few days, which is harder than you think. Time to start shopping. First up: prayer bead bracelets. After examining a dizzying array of styles, beads, and sizes, I end up with 300...
Wonder what I do when in Kathmandu when I'm not trekking? The beginning of the season always starts with planning and shopping. Planning to be sure everything is in place for the treks, and shopping for all the jewelry we sell in the US to raise money for our...
Arching panes of rain-spattered glass shield me from the heat and moisture of Hong Kong. Framed by a lustrous steel endoskeleton, the airport seating area has triple the space of a cathedral and one hundred times the light. My gaze wanders out across the water and...
One of the great pleasures of travel is returning home. Enveloped by familiar space, greeted by smiling faces, gliding through everyday routines, luxuriating in simple comforts. When I'm traveling in Nepal, I often forget how much effort is expended...
In Kathmandu, my world is quickly reshaped. My personal space allotment has been sliced in half, proven by the woman who partially sits on my lap as 17 of us are packed into an 8-person vehicle this morning. Conversely, my patience has doubled (but this may still not...
How many Nepalis does it take to pick me up at the airport? Four. Seriously. This is Asia. Relationships and personal connections are paramount. When someone arrives at an airport, you go to greet them. When I started Peace Corps, my soon-to-be friends hiked two hours...
Exploring the world alone one night towards the end of Burning Man, I climbed a modern Incan temple made of laser-cut steel, sat atop it in the curling branches of a tree, and looked out at the world with satisfaction. I was feeling very whole and solid, unlike years...
When I first went to Burning Man in 2004, I went as a spectator. A group of friends from San Francisco, we were John Cougar Melon-Camp. We played John Cougar music and handed out slices of melon on hot days, but I did little else for the community. Mostly I traveled...