Ever have a vacation dream… and then it finally comes true?  We did.  In fact, its happening this month.  We are finally going to India, Nepal and Sri Lanka!!

The Story

Back in 1987, both my wife Soma and I – who were not married to each other at the time – were both in Asia at roughly the same time.  She had gone to India to be with her guru Osho, and I had traveled with my then-wife Carol and a small group to Sri Lanka to study acupuncture and work in a local hospital.

That time was magical for both of us, and we vowed to return.

Since that time, we have made regular plans to get back, but the plans never materialized.   Life happened.  There was always something in the way – no money, no time, circumstances were bad, etc.

Meanwhile, several friends died or moved on.  Another friend living in Galle, Sri Lanka, Ifthikar Mahuroof, barely survived the 2004 tsunami which took out his home and business.  Friends Bruce and Susan Keenan had, during this time, also created a foundation to support homeless orphans in Nepal, and I rode over 4,000 miles on a unicycle to help raise money for their cause.

Now we had THREE countries we “needed” to visit!

That was a great thought, but in my mind put it further out of reach.  But, after more than twenty years of holding out hope, the time still didn’t feel right.  To paraphrase Victor Hugo, the “idea whose time had come” had not yet come…or maybe never would.

And I was now OK with that.

Which Brings Us to The Idea… And The Time

“We have enough money now,” proclaimed Soma one day a few months ago.  “Why don’t we go to India?”

“Sounds good,” I responded, used to the same conversation that went nowhere before.  “But if we go, we also need to visit Nepal and Sri Lanka . . . and I want us to fly FIRST CLASS!”  I said this firmly, but half-jokingly, since I didn’t expect such a trip to materialize anyway.  I knew, however, that if we DID go, it would be very uncomfortable on such a long flight for we older people (we’re both over 60) unless we could also sleep on the way.

Soma appeared frustrated, but humored me by searching for first-class tickets online.  Then it jumped out at her…. 2 tickets were available from Atlanta to New Delhi for Frequent Flyer Miles, half of which we already had!

With a little more time and effort, Soma was able to buy FF miles and secure first class tickets for over 80% of our trip . . . and paid far LESS than economy class!  We also had side-trips set up for Nepal to visit the orphanage and some ashrams, and Sri Lanka to visit Ifthikar, his family and friends, and some other places I remember being totally magical.

What Now…?

Soma and I leave next week, but I’ll still be posting (hopefully) some news and pictures of the trip on this blog and on social media.  We’ve pre-paid all the bills, stopped all mail, and arranged for someone to live at our house and feed our demanding children (cats).

If you are on my list, you’ll still be receiving special features every Monday in my regular Ezine – “The Best of…” articles and videos previously produced. I’ll also post updates whenever possible… especially when we make it to the Taj Mahal!  

Please check back from time to time to get some updates and tips on coaching.  If I have a chance, you’ll hear from me from time to time on how to stay healthy in Asia, muscle testing on orphans and staff to see if they are back in their bodies after the Nepalese earthquake that shook the region months ago, and how Sri Lanka’s curry is (still) the hottest in the world!

And then, of course, there are the elephants . . .

Later,

Michael