I TASTE FIRE, EARTH, RAIN Elements of a Life with a Sherpa by Caryl Sherpa

Sometimes one is ready to take risks, accept the unexpected, and commit to a dramatically altered life. With this spirit, Caryl Sherpa leaves Los Angeles and begins her journey around the world, open to the new and ready for adventure. As she treks around the Annapurna Mountains of Nepal, she finds herself attracted to her Sherpa trekking guide, Nima. She denies her feelings for Nima, but as she comes to know the land and the Sherpas, she falls in love with Nima, his country, his people, and their joy. Together, Caryl and Nima struggle to find balance in Los Angeles and Ann Arbor, but it is on their return to Nima’s homeland near Mount Everest that they both come to terms with who they have now become. This is an inspiring story of love, cultural exploration the importance of place, finding one’s faith, and the revelation that in the Himalaya, anything is possible. Fire, earth, and rain represent the triumvirate of three of the five elements of Tibetan Buddhist astrology that sustains life. Fire is heat, light, and passion: earth is our foundation: rain purifies and sustains. Together, Caryl and Nima welcomed the elements of fire, earth, rain, which allowed them to grow, flourish, and transform.