Tomorrow we fly to Bhutan.

I am having a hard time believing I get to write these words. Bhutan has been a place on my mind since I first traveled to Nepal just after high school in 1997 and was a part of my focus of my Watson Fellowship when I was looking at the ‘impacts of tourism on culture and environment.” in 2000. As a Fellow in Nepal, Tibet, Antartica and Botswana my interest in Bhutan grew and now, many moons later we are about to take off.

I will be working while I am in Bhutan for HVO at the hospital. They have been amazing in helping with the logistics and yesterday sent us an invite to the National Day with The King. It looks like we will need to land, put our bags down and head over to buy the national dress for each of us. The girls and I will need a “ready-made half Kira (the skirt) and 'Tay-go’ - the jacket/blouse combination.” And Traverse will need “a Gho (and the white sleeves and collar that come with it) and black knee socks.” This plus a Zhechha Zherey, a traditional Bhutanese (usually wooden) bowl - you know, for snacks.

Our time in Bhutan is a place of two birthdays, the new year, Christmas and half way point of this adventure. It is also the only time I am working clinically, and the longest we will be in one house. It is a place we have more connections than anywhere else because of HVO, but have the hardest time researching online because of the limited tourism.

Here is to a new adventures, having life come full circle and what feels like a meaning transition point in our year. We are off to see the King.