And the water keeps pouring
So generously
For my 26th birthday, I threw a fundraising party for my trip to Bhutan. By I threw, I mean with the help of my family and friends. My mom and I trekked to various grocery store to get the chilies, cheese, tea, milk, and rice to make Ema Datshi (the national dish of Bhutan, which a friend at the party described as "Bhutanese beer-cheese soup, without the beer") and vats of chai, making a pit stop for my last Japanese Encephalitis vaccination. Camille, the chef extraordinaire, baked about 60 superb chai-spice-with-honey-frosting cupcakes. Art, jewelry, and vintage findings from talented friends flowed in the door, donations to be sold at the party so friends could have something beautiful in return their generosity. Right before the party, Kim and I spent some time reverting to our middle school days of poster-boarding, creating two boards to showcase Bhutan in print and picture, as well as to inform about my job and the Bhutan Canada Foundation.
Guests arrived, and as each person entered my parent's house, I felt their presence was the gift. What beautiful, loving, and fun people my friends are, and what a joy to see them assembled in one place! Looking around at everyone, I decided that this, the presence of "my people", is also the support that will help me get to Bhutan and live there successfully for a year.
And, the party accomplished it's fundraising goal. We raised the $1,200 I needed. Along with the generous donations that came before the party, the money I had saved, and the $500 scholarship BCF gave me, I was able to reach the $3,500 required by BCF for airfare, health insurance, and other costs that are required for getting to and living in Bhutan for a year. It is a huge relief to have all the money squared away. And it is in no small way due to the generosity of my friends whose intentions and love are now woven deeply into this trip. I feel the immensity of what it means to ask for and receive support.
