Inspired Exploration

10/06/2024

26/03/2024

The dzong in Punakha, one of the longest suspension bridges in Bhutan, early morning to work in the village, and sunset. Not necessarily in that order!
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23/03/2024

Bhutan Air and the Himalayas.
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23/03/2024

Market in Punakha, Bhutan. Chilis, major part of the diet. Plus butter beans, eggplants and banana blossoms shown here.
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22/03/2024

Stall in the Boudha area, she is sewing flags and thangka curtains. I love wandering through the small streets. So many unexpected discoveries and windows into daily life.

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21/03/2024

And just like that, we are back in Kathmandu! Pashupatinath temple complex. Burning ghats, sadhus (holy men), blessings, prayers, mourning, monkeys & cows. Interestingly, non Hindus are not allowed into the actual temple area at Pashupatinath.
Different energy here than in Bhutan!

21/03/2024

Sorry if I’m multiposting! I’m not sure how Reels work! 😆😆😆

21/03/2024

Joe Dominiak

20/03/2024

Rain and snow through our hike to Tigers Nest Monastery. Bhutan is an incredible place to explore, rain, shine, cold or hot.
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20/03/2024

Tigers Nest Monastery, temples built surrounding the cave where Guru Rinpoche meditatedfor 3 months (8th century). He brought Buddhism to Bhutan. We hiked in rain & snow and it was 💯 worth it. No pics allowed inside once you are up there. Or inside any temples at all.
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19/03/2024

Depicting Buddhist story of hunter killing a deer who turns out to be a yogi.

19/03/2024

No internet for 2 full days. That was pretty awesome actually! We stayed at Nobgang Farmhouse in Nobgang village, about 1 hour drive from Punakha, and not far from the village of Talo where we went to the Talo Tsechu festival, dressed in traditional Bhutanese clothes, especially full of color for the festival! (Kira women’s, Goh men’s).

Credit to Bijay, our fantastic guide for many of these festival pics.

Next post for videos of the dancing!

17/03/2024

Dinner last night. Eating in a traditional home converted to a local restaurant. In the butter tea we put dried puffed rice. Our guide has been INCREDIBLE! Thank you Mr. Vijay! And our amazing driver Mr. Soupa.

17/03/2024

Random Thimpu experiences before we leave WiFi!

15/03/2024

Changu Narayan Temple, outside of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur.

The Hindu mythology of this temple includes it being the temple where all three primary gods, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mysore (Shiva is an incarnation of Mysore, apparently!!) were being held captive by a woman for trying to trick her. Ultimately, she tricked them! Finally, their consorts convinced her to let them go.

And the beheaded statue is a mischievous god who had his godly powers taken away for being too mischievous. But once he was killed, he then got his powers back. ( I can’t remember his name, feel free to chime in if you know!)

Also, the holy temple was never found at one point when there was an Indian invasion. It was hidden in the forest of trees, creating even more significance and holiness.

Interestingly, and unfortunately non-Hindus are not allowed to go to the steps or door of the temple (similar to Pashupatinath).
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14/03/2024

Boudhanath Stupa, the largest Buddhist Stupa in Asia (maybe the world?). It’s moving to be here. Spiritual and devotional energy, mixed with social time, after work for the Nepalis, walking koras.
And Pottery Square in Bhaktapur. This artisan invested in each piece, though also efficient in cranking them out. Then they dry in the sun and are fired in the kilns.
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14/03/2024

Sunrise in Nagarkot
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13/03/2024

I took many more pics on my dsl camera today, so not as many to choose from to share, until I get home! But did you know that rhododendrons are Nepal’s national flower? And that when you trek or hike here, it includes hot tea breaks, visiting, and delicious lunch breaks? Truth!

Several of these taken at Nagarkot Farmhouse Resort, where we also had a delightful lunch.

12/03/2024

don’t know where to start today. This is just a tiny representation of our day. View of Boudhanath Stupa from our hotel.to start (important holy stupa for Boudhists, Hindus visit here too. We have not actually visited there yet. Then Swayambunath Temple is a Hindu and Buddhist holy temple complex. Lots of monkeys there. Then Pashupatinath temple complex in the evening, ending with aarti ceremony .
Still vibrating!
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08/03/2024

In 2017, this is the beautiful group I was with in Nepal, and Delhi & Jaipur India. The second pic is in Chitwan National Park in the Terai. We were celebrating my wedding anniversary to while Joe was back home in the US. And these wonderful travelers even tracked down a real cake! Cake & King Fisher beer. ❣️🧡🩷❤️
In a few days, we will be celebrating 🥳 TOGETHER in Nepal & Bhutan. Not our anniversary, but celebrating adventure together!

Plus vegetables and clay pots drying in the sun 🥰🙏🏼

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05/03/2024

Just a select few of my favorite pics from my last trip to ………Nepal.
Our countdown is on! Just….getting…through…this…laaaassssst…week…of….work…..Painful, but must get my s**t done!! ✅ Then…..🍾🇧🇹🇳🇵🌺💃🏻🕺🏽🐒✈️⛰️🏔️⛺️
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01/03/2024

Heading back in the direction of one of my favorite places. And somewhere I’ve never been before
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01/03/2024

Lake Namtso, the highest salt water lake in the world. “Heavenly Lake” in Tibet. A holy place that would take 7-8 days to walk around. The pilgrimage energy was high, the air was THIN! We walked and took it in. As we walked, some pilgrims were doing prostrations rather than walking as a part of their prayers. We were to spend one night, and because it must have been a busy time of year, they had to put us in an “overflow room”rather than the main lodging. Our “Overflow” accommodations amounted to a metal walled room in a metal shed, more or less. The lock on our door was a padlock & chain 😆. Only public squat toilets, and they were upwind from us 💩! No sink in the room. AND it was really, really cold. Between high altitude nausea and the cold, even in our minus zero sleeping bags, we did not sleep at all that night. In the morning, we met our guide/driver had a hot cup of tea and descended the mountain as quickly as possible. As soon as we were down a 1,000 feet or so, my splintering headache disappeared.

With all that, the ecstatic calm, spiritually charged beauty this picture portrays is what we truly came away with. Everywhere you travel becomes a small piece of you.

2013. Joe’s & my trip to Tibet & China.
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23/07/2022

So much fun this morning at our surf lessons with Beth, 😆😆😆💕💜 !! 🏄🏽‍♂️ 🏄 🏄🏻‍♀️ at Butler Beach

18/07/2022

Early birthday dinner with my love.
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05/05/2022

I haven’t posted in forever, I guess because I don’t feel like I’ve taken a great, interesting, IG-worthy picture in quite some time! So here are a few pics. Ordinary, yet filled with love. Husband, sister, niece, kitties. Family love. Oh and dinner at
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❤️

27/01/2022

Sitting at the Rundle Bar at the Banff Fairmont Hotel. Enjoying the company, cocktails, view, the WARMTH.
With Tammy and Gerardo!
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🇨🇦

05/05/2021

Sunrise simplicity. ❤️......

29/04/2021

Be less sucky today.

That is all.