Married to Bhutan (How One Woman Got Lost, Said " I Do," and Found Bliss)

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Tucked away in the eastern end of the Himalayas lies magical Bhutan- a tiny, landlocked country bordering China and India. Impossibly remote and nearly inaccessible, Bhutan is rich in natural beauty, exotic plants and animals, and crazy wisdom. It is a place where people are genuinely content with very few material possessions, and the government embraces “Gross National Happiness” instead of Gross National Product.

As one of the few Americans to have lived in Bhutan, Linda Leaming offers a rare glimpse into the quirky mountain kingdom so many have only dreamed of visiting. For over ten years, she has lived and worked in Thimphu, a town with fewer than 100,000 people, no traffic lights, and less than- desirable plumbing. Learning shares her experiences as she learns the language, customs, and religion; her surprising romance with a Buddhist artist; and her realizations about the unexpected path to happiness and accidental enlightenment. She shows us that we don’t necessarily have to travel around the world to appreciate a little Bhutan in our own lives, and that following our dreams is the way to be truly happy.

Linda Leaming is a writer whose work has appeared in Ladies’ Home Journal, Mandala, Guardian Uk, A Woman’s Asia (Travelers’ Tales, 2005), and many other publications. Eric Weiner included her in his 2008 best- seller, The Geography of Bliss. She has an M.F.A. in fiction from the University of Arizona; and she regularly speaks about Bhutan at colleges, churches, seminars, and book groups.