San Francisco

The morning I left for Hong Kong, the car wouldn't start. We were already late and my family, miracle workers that they are, got it running just as I was starting to panic.

I was grabbing my bags and barreling toward the door when when my dad called, "Don't forget to say goodbye to the house." I raced back for a last lap through my room, the dining room, the kitchen. My parents had already sold the building I grew up in and, as I closed the door, I knew home would never be the same.

Five Things to Remember about Nepal

I fell asleep this afternoon because life after the trail has been that tiring. I mean, the only thing harder than boutique shopping is playing Scrabble, right? Well, my mom and I have played 35 games (?!) so far this month, so I definitely deserve a break.

It all started with a few days in Pokhara, a town that had great views of the Annapurna range but so much smog that we could barely see down the block for most of our stay. Instead of taking in the views, we spent our time shopping for jewelry and eating some of the foods we missed on the trail.