Gross National Happiness

So, tonight, I finished Lisa Napoli's Radio Shangri-La, a memoir about Napoli's experiences in Bhutan.  I was feeling a little passed over, really.  I have never met a devastatingly attractive man who offered me a chance to volunteer in a remote, intriguing location.  And even if I did, there is my husband to consider.

Then I logged onto my email account and there was an article for the Bhutan Canada Foundation, offering teaching opportunities to Americans, Canadians and others in the Happiest Place on Earth, the tiny mountain nation of Bhutan.

Now I have an invitation to do just that - volunteer somewhere very far, far away and somewhere enticingly different.    Coincidence???  I think not.

It is tempting even without the devastatingly attractive man.  Am I woman enough to step up to the challenge?  Or should I take this as a sign that there is more adventure waiting out there, if not in Bhutan, perhaps somewhere closer?  I am keeping my eyes open.

But for those who prefer armchair travel, read Napoli's introduction to the enchanting and fluctuating country of Bhutan.  Since the turn of this new century, Bhutan has gradually relaxed some of its guard on its tiny country - allowing the entrance of television, radio and the Internet.  Then in a move planned for several years, the king opened elections and rules, now, with the aid of a Prime Minister and other elected officials.  As fascinated as Westerners are with the soaring beauty of the Himalayas and the spare lifestyle of the Bhutanese, they find fast food, cars, cell phones and the America that they see in movies and TV to be spellbinding.  What Napoli was discovering, even before she set foot in Bhutan, was that happiness is being where you are.  Read the book.