It’s been a while since the last time I’ve written.

I woke up at 5 AM on October 9, and hit snooze once before realizing there was no way I was falling back asleep. I’d counted on some nerves. But as my parents, sister and I drove from my childhood home in Perry to the starting line in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, I was able to stay calm and collected, telling myself I had a job to do but that I knew how to do it.

In December 2014 I had the opportunity to visit the kingdom of Bhutan: a Himalayan nation that is remote, rugged and wonderful.