CNN
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Upon arriving in the Kingdom of Bhutan, deep in the Himalayas between Tibet and India, Linda Reaming was blown away by its beauty.
The year was 1994, and she was 39 years old and had taken time from her busy career traveling as a freelance writer in Nashville. She was interested in a small Buddhist country that was still a new and undeveloped tourist destination at the time, and thriving with little outside influence to this day.
It was like entering a fairy tale world when Linda leapt into the remote valley town of Paro, famous for perching on a cliff famous for her golden-roofed nest monastery. As she stared at the snowy mountains, Linda felt awe and wondered if she hadn’t experienced it anywhere else.
“The moment I got off the plane I was intrigued,” she says. “The air is so pure and still is. We are the only carbon-negative country in the world, because most of it is covered in wood.”
It was not only the fresh air and the stirring mountain views that made an impression on Linda, but also the people he met while hiking the valleys and visiting ancient Buddhist temples and monasteries.
“I realized the kindness of strangers,” she says. “Like the motorcyclist who lifted back to the hotel when he twisted his ankles. Similarly, the kindness on my part was almost appreciated, such as handing out fruit to people I met along the way.”
Walking hours each day has proven to be a mindfulness practice for Linda and life-changing.
“My heart was slowing down and I felt clarity. I wanted to spend the rest of my life here.”
When she returned from her trip, Linda cancelled her plans to buy the property in Nashville and instead set her sights on a move to Bhutan. Three years later, after two more visits to the country, she said goodbye to everyone she knew to start a new life in places that most people couldn’t even choose on the map.
She was offered a job at the Cultural School in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, and a year later she offered a position to teach English at the national art school in the same city. There she became friends with one of the art teachers, a “shy but sweet, lovely man” called Namgay.
“He’s very handsome and always dressed him. ghoLinda mentions the knee-length belted robes traditionally worn by Bhutanese men.
Knowing about a year and a half, the pair’s friendship developed into something more during the winter break when they began spending time together at Linda’s house.
“We liked each other, but we didn’t think it would lead to anything,” says Linda. Explaining that Nangay comes from traditional and religious families, she thought their cultural differences mean that relationships are at issue.
“Then one day, when we were looking through textbooks, he pointed to a section on government departments and said, ‘We need to do this.’ It was a registered office for marriage, and I said yes. ”
Nangay introduces Linda to his family, and they were officially engaged. Her initial worries were quickly rested by the warm welcome of the family and the faith of her fiancé as a couple.
“Namgai, a Buddhist, believes our karma has brought us together. He told me, “We are very different, but our hearts are the same.”
She further says that Nangai’s late father, a talented astrologer, actually predicted their union. He told his son years ago that he was destined to marry a woman from afar, which would be later. And that’s how it came to be. The couple got married in 2000.
One day, a few years after their marriage, Nangai casually asked Linda. She thought he intended at art school.
“But he said, ‘No, when I gave you a lift on my bike, when you got injured.” I couldn’t believe it.
Linda and Nangay’s life took an even more auspicious turn when they recruited Kinley, a young Bhutanese girl, who is now 26 years old and is a nursing school in Perth, Australia.
“I didn’t expect to have children, but it was a very blessing,” says Linda.
“Bhutan is a world away from the United States. Here, “the total happiness of the nation” is more important than the national product. ”
The concept of happiness in the Gross state was introduced in the 1970s by the Fourth King of Bhutan. The Fourth King of Bhutan felt it was important to take a holistic approach to development and not focus solely on economic growth, but to consider the social, cultural, environmental and spiritual impacts on society. This spirit of sustainability is a major part of why the country was able to preserve its primitive environment and traditional culture in an age of rapid commercial globalization.
“I’ve been here for 30 years now and it’s still a really wild and magical place,” says Linda. “The Bengali Tigers roam freely in the forests and alpine mountains, with snow leopards.
“We are surrounded by sacred places. I love hiking to Tango Monastery, which dates back to the 13th century. There is a special kind of energy. It is the same energy that I felt when I first arrived here. It’s difficult to explain, but it gives that kind of peace and happiness.”
Linda’s love affair with the adopted country produced two books, “Marriage to Bhutan” and “The Field Guide to Happiness.” Both funny and intriguing laughter, the book explains what she learned in the process, including not making modern conveniences a norm.
“When we moved in together, I asked Nangay if there was a water issue he lived in and he said he didn’t. he,“She recalls.
In her early days in Bhutan, Linda washed clothes with her hands in a bucket.
“We got a washing machine right after we got married, but before we could drink it we had the tap water boiling. We managed to get a water filter, but bringing it to a boil is like a ritual that bothers us.”
Speaking of mindfulness, Linda says that by living in a Buddhist community, she taught her how to slow down and become the moment. She says Bhutanese people have a flexible approach to time rather than being controlled by a clock.
“When someone comes to eat or makes an appointment to come to repair a plumbing, you (for example), “come on Wednesday,” and that’s specific enough,” she explains.
“As long as they show up that day or the next day, everything should be. There are people who are used to the quirky, time-conscious Americans who have been particularly harmful. But once they get into the swing of things, it’s a great way to live.”
Thanks to her leap in faith years ago, she couldn’t fail to be inspired by the life that Linda created for herself. She and her husband currently live on the hill above Thimphu, covered in willows and cherry blossoms at this time of year. Their lovely and bright home is an art studio where Nangay paints and blends traditional Buddhist iconography with modern influences.
The couple splits time between Bhutan and the US, but recently they have spent more time at Thimphu’s house. Fortunately, there is a steady flow of friends and family. Linda says when they leave they all cry at the airport.
“I think it’s because this place is soothing,” she says. “In Bhutan, we are essentially immersed and as a culture we value kindness. We can see people staying longer and relaxed. Globally, we live in unstable times. There is a lot of anger and fear in the world.
