It’s been a long time coming, but finally we are going to Tibet. We’ve been to Bhutan twice, so I guess you could say we were getting closer. All it took was a note from our partner Bhutan and Beyond, letting us know in 2017 they were running tours to Tibet, for me to jump at the opportunity. My interest in Tibet goes way back — to my readings of Lopsang Rampa’s books when I was a teenager, and later my interest in Tibetan Buddhism. Read my post on Medium about it here.
It seems strange that I would put off travelling to the place I have most wanted to visit, but it reminds me of how we often put off writing the stories we most want to write. It may be because we think those stories are too painful, to exposing or too close to the bone to bring to light.
When I teach writing I advise students to start a note book labled:
THE THINGS I CAN’T WRITE ABOUT!
In that book you write exactly that. You can keep it under lock and key, never show it to a single soul and when it is full you can burn it or throw it in the bin. (However before you do — consider the idea that the seeds of your best seller may lie between its pages).
Whatever the outcome and whether you wish to publish those stories or not, it helps immensely to get those self censored words out on the page. Louise Desalvo in her book Writing As Healing, mentions the research of James Pennebaker quoted in his book Opening Up.
“Using her own writing, Ms. DeSalvo has empirically tested Pennebaker’s research about how writing benefits a writer’s health and has taken his suggestions one step further: DeSalvo asserts that when writing about past events that are traumatic, upsetting, or disturbing the writer must connect it to feelings of the past and of the present, so that progress can be made in healing. Through this linking of thinking and feeling the writer can make effective progress toward writing.” From Ruth Folit’s review, read more here.
In June, when we travel to Tibet, the roof of the world, I wonder what stories will turn up!
Taste of Tibet heads out June 7-18. We meet in Kathmandu Nepal on June 6. Still room to join!
Moroccan Caravan March 4-23, Camel trek plus optional add on residency. Booking now!
