Hi! My name is Julie, and I learned about Dragons in 2015 when my daughter did a gap semester with this organization in Indonesia. I have always thought how wonderful it would be if I could do something similar…..So when I learned about this......Read More
Hello, New Friends! I’m very excited to make your acquaintance as we all get to know the people, land, spirit and culture of Nepal. Next Friday I’ll leave my family and my home among the vineyards of Sonoma County in California to......Read More
As our trip draws ever nearer, logistical considerations, such as what to pack and how to get to the airport, can crowd our minds, so I’d like to invite us to take some time to reflect on some of the issues and topics we hope to explore on our......Read More
Dear Friends, It has been wonderful to read the introductions that have been posted so far – it has gotten me so excited for our upcoming adventure! As your departure date draws near, we know that many of your thoughts will turn to how to best......Read More
Hello everyone! I live in Brookline, MA. I have two adult children. One is a Dragons instructor who led the Mekong semester this past fall and encouraged me to join this program. I am originally from Denmark, but at this point I have spent 35+ years......Read More
Oh my goodness! I’m leaving for Nepal in a week! I’m at the stage where I’m less excited and more nervous. This means I’ll be leaving my family and going out on my own for the first time since I got married and had......Read More
Hello, nice to meet you all! My name is Lina, and I’ll be traveling from Los Angeles, CA. I was born in Iraq and lived in England before moving to the United States. Because I don’t have the privilege of finding “home” in the......Read More
Namaste (meaning; the God in me bows down to the God in you) I am Rishi Bhandari, a human being born and raised in this land called Nepal. I was born in the western mountains of Nepal, moved to the southern plains and raised in the central......Read More
A heartfelt namaste from a fresh cold morning in Nepal! My name is Claire, I am originally from the UK although I have for many years called Kathmandu home, and I have the great privilege of being one of your instructors for this wonderful journey......Read More
Dear Ashrams and Artisans 2018 participants, Welcome to the Dragons community and your course’s Yak Board! You can think of your Yak Board as an online group journal and virtual bulletin board. Pre-course, your instructors will use the board to......Read More
We came across this painted sign in Panauti as we completed a day hike from Namobuddha through small villages and rice fields. Gratitude is what I feel during these final days in Nepal. Gratitude for so many things… Mark and I both saying......Read More
On our last morning in Nepal, in ancient Bhaktapur, our carved wooden oval window looks over a scene of deeply rooted patterns and a rhythm of life that’s as unfamiliar to us as it is automatic to Newari’s here. How profoundly their or......Read More
Yesterday I went downtown to do a little local traveling as if I were on a Dragons trip; part of my re-entry plan! There’s so much of DC I simply haven’t explored. Under bright blue skies, I ended up at the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial,......Read More
So, I returned last Sunday, along with Darrel, sadly leaving the rest of our group and beautiful Nepal behind. Ashrams and Artisans was a breathtaking, beautiful, inspiring and challenging trip. Our days were so richly full that I am still......Read More
A week after our Artisans And Ashrams group graduated and our adventures ended, Caroline and I are still in Nepal extending and assimilating what we learned with our fellow Dragons. We are eating dal bhat as well as global foods. I am wearing my......Read More
Each of us on this trip almost didn’t come. It was a detour from our normal flow. But we plunged in anyway and every day has held unexpected great adventures like a first run on a complex and fascinating river. We’ve used the metaphor of......Read More
