Tucked away in the eastern end of the Himalayas lies Bhutan a tiny, landlocked country bordering China and India. Impossibly remote and nearly inaccessible, Bhutan is rich in natural beauty, exotic plants and animals, and crazy wisdom. It is a place where people are genuinely content with very few material possessions and the government embraces Gross National Happiness instead of Gross National Product. In this funny, magical memoir, we accompany Linda Leaming on her travels through South Asia, sharing her experiences as she learns the language, customs, and religion; her surprising romance with a Buddhist artist; and her realizations about the unexpected path to happiness and accidental enlightenment. As one of the few Americans to have lived in Bhutan, Leaming offers a rare glimpse into the quirky mountain kingdom so many have only dreamed of. For over ten years, Leaming has lived and worked in the town of Thimphu, where there are no traffic lights and fewer than 100,000 people. If enlightenment is possible anywhere, she writes, I think it is particularly possible here. The Bhutanese way of life can seem daunting to most Westerners, whose lives are consumed with time, efficiency, and acquiring things. But Leaming shows us that we dont necessarily have to travel around the world to appreciate a little Bhutan in our own lives, and that following our dreams is the way to be truly happy.
Married to Bhutan: How one Woman got lost, said I do and found Bliss; Linda Leaming, Hay Houses, Paperback, 2011, 250 Pages, $14.95
I came to Bhutan the first time in 1994 and, like so many visitors, fell hard for the country and its people. I came back two more times, and then in 1997 the Royal Government was kind enough to let me come and teach English. I wasn’t much of an English teacher, but I did learn quite a lot of Dzongkha, the ntional language of Bhutan, from my students. I also learned a lot about how to live the Bhutanese way. Over the years Bhutan has become so much a part of who I am.
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