*Disclaimer: this post contains some sub par iPhone pictures taken during a very foggy headed, jet-lagged state! I am on a trip in India right now and when I was planning my departure I decided what better way to start my adventure than a four hour layover in Kuwait. Â I am fortunate enough to be …
Earlier this year I spent a few weeks with my husband exploring a truly wonderful country, Myanmar. Â Bagan is a must if you go to Myanmar, and we were very excited when we arrived there, following a 7 hour river boat ride from Mandalay. Â Bagan is known for the beautiful temples scattered all over, making …
In comparison to Canadians, Europeans and Australians; Americans as a society are not known for their traveling and love of exploring the world. Â This does not mean none of them travel (obviously), but it the vast majority have not spent a great deal of time traveling to foreign places beyond Mexico, Puerto Rico or the …
In Myanmar if you travel to Bagan a popular side trip is to Mount Popa; a spiritual mecca for Buddhists to check out shrines of some very important ‘nats’.  A nat (not a gnat) is a Buddhist spirit worshipped in Myanmar, originally part of Burmese folk religion.  After doing some homework I can say there …
On a trip in India years ago, on one of my final days in Kolkata, I had only one thing left I wanted to accomplish. That was to check out the flower market. Â The evening before I had decided that if someone tried to talk to me, I would make an attempt to be open …
On a solo trip to Kolkata a few years back, I was picked up at the airport by a representative from my hotel, cheerfully awaiting my arrival. Â She escorted me to the car where the driver was waiting for us. Â When we pulled away from the airport she turned back to face me and said …
One of my first 'big' solo trips was to India and Nepal a few years ago. Â My main intention was to go to Nepal, where I would be spending a month volunteering at a Buddhist Monastery. Â I decided to add on a month in India beforehand to see some areas I had never been to …
"India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grandmother of tradition. Â Our most valuable and most constructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only." ~Mark Twain India is unlike any other place you will …
If you visit Nepal, visiting Bodhnath Stupa and it's surrounding area is a must.  As one of the major sights to visit in the Kathmandu area, I had already made a trip before starting my time volunteering for a month at Rinchen Parli Monastery.  It is full of tourists but is  a very important pilgrimage …
Volunteering in a Buddhist Monastery.
Journeys Through Samsara 