My friends and family thought I was a little crazy to go so far away, on my own, for so long.  But the second I booked it, my heart soared. This had been a dream for me to see Asia.   No, I didn't run halfway around the world to get away from my family, some asked.   But, I did have that lingering mommy question, "Is this all there is - carpools and suburbia?”

"So, did you talk to a monk on a mountain top,"  my friend asked when I returned?  Absolutely, but he didn't have any answers for me.  The answers came from a small, poor Orphanage that I visited in Lhasa, Tibet.  That’s where I had my "ah-hah moment." 

Sitting in a cold, lonely corner of the Orphanage, several love-hungry children begged for a place on my lap. Their faces covered in dried dirt and some tears. They couldn’t get enough of hugging me, and rocking two at a time on my knee in a small rocking chair.   I was completely humbled by the immense value of a mother's hug. These children had nothing, less than nothing.  No shoes, tattered clothes, a makeshift roof over their heads, just barely food and water to survive. They also had no jackets for the Tibetan winters, no toys or games, just each other for comfort and love.

My heart broke for each of them.   I wanted to take them all home.  As I sat there holding several who didn't want to release my hand, I thought how incredibly sad it was that they would never know the depth and power of a mother's love and devotion.  No one to take them to sport practices, no one to celebrate birthdays with them, no one to fight for or comfort them.

 I suddenly realized how blessed I was to have my two kids back home, in their warm beds, to love, scold, feed, worry and carpool every day.  Something so mundane suddenly appeared a monumentally important thing to be doing.   I realized my earlier fatigue was just a mommy indicator that I was giving my family my all.   I was blessed to have  a beautiful home to live in, abundance of food, and children to love deeply.   It hit me, if this is all there is, then yes, I'm very thankful and fulfilled with my carpools and suburban life.  And, boy my kids are lucky too!!   Had I not gone alone on this trip, I might not have learned to appreciate my life so passionately.

When I returned home, I made a point of sharing their story and these tough images with my family.  My kids wanted to do something to help the Orphanage, so we put on a Clothes Drive at their school and collected about 20 boxes of warm clothes.  We then shipped the boxes back to the Orphanage.   I later received a beautiful, handwritten "Thank You" from the Orphanage, which I shared with our kid's school.

I think it's moments like this that bring you the greatest reasons to travel solo. Don't let anything hold you back from your dreams. Traveling solo is a growing up experience, no matter your age.   It widens your horizons, beliefs and makes you a global citizen.  Below are pictures of my kids then and now.  Boy  have they grown!!  So proud.