I Ain’t Dead Yet

Coming down the last set of stairs for breakfast, I was instantly struck with a chord of cringe when I overheard the American accent.

The loud, nasally voice was explaining to the server that she “desperately needed a coffee!”

Because, after a 37-hour journey from San Francisco, she’d flown into Kathmandu in the wee hours of the morning and barely gotten a wink of sleep.

As I grabbed a plate, I reluctantly approached the strip of ‘All You Can Eat’ buffet tables.

Her and I, now shoulder-to-shoulder, standing over a platter of buttermilk pancakes and vegetable curry, then struck up a conversation.

“So, where are YOU from?” She asked, while shamelessly scanning me up and down from head-to-toe.

“Dallas… Texas.”

“Oh, I know where Dallas is silly. But you sure don’t sound like you’re from Texas. And with that scarf and skinny-legged yoga pants, you certainly don’t look like you’re from Texas either.”

I couldn’t help but laugh—then quickly peek over my shoulder to see if the attractive Dutch gal I met at yesterday’s brunch had overheard my ass gettin’ roasted.

Fortunately, she was way too entrenched in the buttering of her pancakes.

After getting to my table, I wiped my silverware clean and began arranging the three plates of food I’d compiled—in the strategic order in which they would soon be getting devoured.

It was then I could feel it coming.

I glanced up to see the American gal, with her two towering plates of food, was now gazing across the Café. Crinkling her nose, she was wearing that overly-dramatic confused look of, “Oh my, just where in the world shall I sit?”

Once her head turned my direction, I quickly looked down, hyper-focusing on the hard boiled egg my fingers were fumbling to peel.

It’s not that I had anything against this woman, she was actually extremely sweet. I just really prefer eating while not having to talk, or eating while not having to listen to anyone else talk.

“We meet again! Do you mind if I join you, Adrian from Texas?”

“Not at all, have a seat,” I fibbed.

Other than the fact that this woman had to verbalize something incredibly positive after every bite of food, it turned out to be a really interesting conversation.

In fact, it didn’t take long for me to recognize that this woman and I had a lot in common.

She’d never been married, nor does she have any kids—both by choice. And, she realized long ago, she’s “a much more compassionate and accepting human being because of all my travels.”

Come to find out, even though Wendy from San Francisco was indeed a world traveler, this was her first time to visit Nepal—a place that had been at the top of her bucket list for years.

“Can I just tell you, Adrian, Nepal has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I almost fainted when I read about all the floods that were killing people just a few days ago. I had several friends reach out and tell me to cancel my trip. But I just couldn’t. You might find this silly but I hired a trainer 6 months ago. I’ve been training for this adventure ever since.”

“Damn girl, I’m proud of you. Coming here all alone. Training for 6 months to hike in the Himalayas. That’s no small feat, ya know? Which trek are you doing?”

“I’m doing Langtang. 7 days with a hired guide. No group, just me and the local guide. I’m a little nervous, to tell you the truth.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll do great. The guides here are some of the best in the world and I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about Langtang.”

After taking her last bite of cubed potatoes and her last few swigs of coffee, Wendy dabbed her lips with her napkin and was immediately ready to roll.

“Well, Adrian from Texas, I’m sure I’ll see you around. I’m gonna excuse myself and go hit the streets of Kathmandu. I can’t wait to see what this place is all about.”

“Get it, girl. And hey, color me impressed. I can’t believe you don’t have more jet lag.”

“Oh, I do. I’m exhausted. I only slept a few hours last night. But, like I said, Nepal has been a dream of mine for decades. It’s time to explore. There will be time for a nap later.”

“Nice to meet you, Wendy. I have to tell you, I’m inspired by both you and your spunk for life.”

“Thank you, young man. Hey, like I tell my friends all the time, I might be overly-wrinkled and damn near 76, but I ain’t dead yet.”

In Awe & With Gusto,

Adrian ⚡️

Please note: This story originally took place and was shared on Facebook a few weeks ago. However, after sharing Wendy’s story with a neighbor yesterday, and her then breaking into tears, I will be sharing THAT juicy story tomorrow—and it will be much better received after reading this piece first.

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