Sometimes you take a trip and sometimes the trip takes you....

Isn't that so true! A wise woman I know gave a bit of advice at a seminar I once attended...where ever YOU are, BE there. We can sometimes get so involved in the planning and organizing of our travels that we forget to enjoy not just the big moments but also the little moments that happen along the way. Personally, I live for the little moments. Traveling to Nepal and then to Bhutan was full of little moments and I've decided that I would share some little moments of my adventure.

First, traveling to Asia was not on my "wish" list of places to visit. But a doctor in Nepal shared a "wish"  with a doctor in Tempe, AZ and after years of planning their combined wish came true;  to bring a team of professionals and equipment to Kathmandu, Nepal to teach minimally invasive surgery to OB/GYN surgeons. As the team was created and the equipment collected a secondary team evolved comprised of doctors, teachers, nurses and others like me, who just wanted to make a difference.


One of our first adventures was to travel outside of Kathmandu where we stayed at Pullhari Monastery. Our accommodations were simple and the evenings were quite cold. Our rooms had no heat and some of us shared a bathroom a short walk from our rooms. All part of the adventure! 












Our hosts were gracious and on our first day we took about a 30 minute walk to one of the local villages. We set up shop, my role being to provide dental education. The needs were great and by the end of the first morning I had given away 225 toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss. Both toothpaste and floss were new introductions. 



We hiked back to the Monastery; took longer since we were now hiking uphill! We spent the rest of that day and into the next day seeing all 250 monks, some as young as seven years old. They were all so disciplined and mindful but I could sense the absence of nurturing.

On Wednesday we left the Monastery and joined our hospital group back in Kathmandu. As you can see from the photo, the teaching went well ~ at times there were over 15 people in the operating theatre. By the end of the week, the Nepalese physicians were performing the procedures unassisted by the American team.

Our next stop - a visit to the American Embassy. It was wonderful to meet with the team from USAID and learn about all the sustainable projects in Nepal. No photos as security is very strict. After leaving the Embassy we spent the rest of the day at Alpine Valley School. We happily delivered over 400 books that Chase, a young man collected as part of his eagle scout project. We treated the 118 children to a simple box lunch and then divided into teams where we went class to class visiting and teaching a broad range of topics. I'm not sure who had more fun, the kids or our team. We granted a "wish" and provided a new computer for their students. 


Our next day was spent at a Clinic outside Kathmandu providing health exams. Our gracious host, Dinesh assisted us with setting up a clinic and facilitated my visit to two different schools to teach dental education.

Toothbrushes and toothpaste were welcomed by both young and old.

I took so many photos it was hard to decide which to share! I'll end with just a few more. My blog wouldn't be complete if I didn't add a photo of food - and with rice being a staple meal at least twice a day, I'll share a photo of one of our typical meals and photos of the rice drying on the large mats.

 

Can you guess which of these mountains is Mt. Everest? Seeing Mt. Everest was breathtaking and truly one of the big moments of the trip. Hope you've enjoyed my little moments....a child's smile...an elders gratitude...a new smell...a new sight...a new sound...new tastes. This trip really did take me!

 

I love taking photos of doors...I have them from all over the world. This one caught my attention because it had four doors in a row and it made me think of this blog; four aprons and the significance the number four has become in my life. The door farthest to the left represents me; it's the door that is half open. I still have many possibilities and adventures yet to come. The other three doors represent my Mom and my Grandma's. While their doors are closed and they are gone, they still stand right next to me guiding me on my travels and in my kitchen. During this time of year when we surround ourselves with family, friends and reflection take the time enjoy small moments. They can take your breath away and bring a tear to your eye when you least expect it!