T minus 12 hours

It's almost time to go. This entry will hopefully mark a more or less regular return to this blog, under the auspices of my Fulbright experience in Nepal. These last few hours in the states have seemed a bit surreal, as I enjoyed one of the first crisp nights of fall in Boulder, a purple sunset descending over the Flatirons.

Denver to St. Paul to Tokyo to Bangkok to Kathmandu, 35 hours in all, 10,000 frequent flier miles one way. I set aside the temptation for a layover in Tokyo, much as I was enticed by the idea of spending a few nights in one of those plastic capsules. Same with Bangkok, where the monsoons are coming in.

It's been seven years since I've last been in Nepal, and I wonder what I'll remember and recognize, and what will seem different after these years of political upheaval. I can't help but imagine that our apartment in the Naxal area will be a few cinderblock rooms-- I'm keeping expectations low for now.

A few hours ago, at the bookstore on Pearl Street, the title that drew me in was Alan Weisman's latest work of non-fiction, which posits what the natural world will look like after humans die out. It's beautifully written but a bit dramatic, so I decided on a Buddhist magazine for my airport reading instead, settling on a lighter version of human transience.