Meg at 90, and daughter, Cary, on Khopra Ridge, Annapurna region, Dec 2018. The mountain in the background is Dhaulagiri, the 7th highest mountain in the world.
This website is about JOY. The joy of discovery; the joy of experiencing a new place, a new person, a new way of life; the joy of walking into the unknown, stripping off the detritus of old habits and thoughts, and risking failure to find abundance and success. I find my joy in travel, in writing, and in being immersed in nature.
Trekking in the Helambu/Yolmo area of Nepal, 2014
For a chronicle of my first round-the-world backpacking trip in 1986-87, read my book, Madam, Have You Ever Really Been Happy? An Intimate Journey through Africa and Asia
During the years since my first Everest Base Camp trek in 1987, I have done a second round-the-world backpacking trip in 1996, adding a great many new countries such as Tibet, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, as well as almost yearly trips to Nepal. I enjoyed many treks, my favorites being Kangchenjunga, Annapurna, Langtang, Sikkim, and an extraordinary trek with my eldest daughter, Cary, to circumambulate sacred Mt. Kailash in Tibet. Interspersed with these trips have been other adventures like a month in Mongolia and the Wainwright Walk across England. Not to mention my travels in the United States, from east to west.
My blog is the unpublished journal of these travels, telling of manifold experiences not uncommon to many of you…life experiences that do not depend on physical prowess, youth, or going anywhere but into your own imagination and dreams.
I welcome you to take a pilgrimage with me to these far away places….to discover yourself as you expand your world and your understanding of the myriad cultures available to all of us, and to embrace the possibilities that are unlocked every time you try something new.
When I turned 95, I decided to be sensible for a change, and, as sometimes happens with age, I gave up my high altitude climbing…but that leaves a great deal to explore at sea level! Writing is one of them. For several years I’ve been gathering stories about the challenging job of raising five children in the ’50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, before my solo world travels began. It’s fun, especially when mixed with a sense of humor, and it makes a great family tale. I’ve decided to post some excerpts, as well as my essays over the years, for your entertainment. I’m sure many of you will relate to the stories and laugh with me as I uncover some of my silliest or deepest moments.
You can read my published essays HERE and excerpts from my book-in-progress, I Love You to Death, But….HERE
