About a year and a half ago, I sat at my desk staring at a nearly empty calendar.
“A fresh start,” I told myself.
I had spent so much time imagining all the things I would do with my newfound freedom post-separation—travel, new experiences, fully embracing this next chapter. But now that my custody schedule was set, and I had real windows of time to myself, I found myself hitting roadblocks.
India and Bhutan had been on my so-called bucket list for years. I wasn’t entirely sure why. India, because I had heard incredible things about the experience. Bhutan? Bhutan had always intrigued me—something about it being called the happiest place on Earth.
On a whim, I emailed my friends at Aman, asking if they thought Bhutan might be open to a partnership. (Translation: I’d share my experience on social media and offer consulting services in exchange for the trip—something I’ve done with hotel groups I’ve worked with for over a decade.)
To my surprise—and, if I’m being honest, before I even knew if I really wanted to go—they replied:
“Yes! Let’s do it.”
It wasn’t as simple as just pressing play. First, I reached out to a few of my best friends to see if they’d be up for the adventure. Flying to the other side of the world alone didn’t exactly sound appealing.
Another surprise—they didn’t hesitate.
“Yes! Let’s goooo!”
After dozens of hours of researching flights (Bhutan is not an easy destination to get to), submitting visa applications, coordinating travel guides with the Aman and pushing our trip by a month due to the LA fires, the trip was on.
I went to Bhutan because I needed something. A shift. A reset. And I got it—but not in the way I expected.
What I didn’t expect—what I couldn’t have predicted—was how much a place would change me. Living in Los Angeles, with two kids, a business and between all of the hustle and bustle, life moves fast. There’s always something—something to do, something to plan, something to fix. The noise blends together until you don’t even notice it anymore. You just keep going.
But Bhutan? Bhutan forced me to stop.
It gave me silence—not just the absence of noise, but the kind of quiet that makes you listen. That makes you sit with yourself. That makes you realize how much of life you’ve been filling with distractions.
I had spent the past two years fighting to rebuild, to move forward, to create structure in a life that had been flipped upside down. I most definitely had moments where I sat through the silence and grief, but I hadn’t really done a full body STOP. Bhutan showed me that maybe what I really needed was less.
Less overthinking. Less explaining. Less trying to control the uncontrollable.
All in all, it was the energy of Bhutan that truly stayed with me. There’s a deep calm there, a kind of quiet rhythm to life that feels almost untouched by the urgency of the outside world. Bhutan doesn’t have traffic lights. It didn’t even have television until the late 1990s. Instead of rushing, people move—with intention, with presence.
Bhutan’s history is rooted in peace. It’s the only country in the world that measures its success in Gross National Happiness rather than GDP. The monarchy voluntarily shifted to a democracy, not because of a revolution or pressure, but because they believed it was the right thing to do for their people. There are no billboards. No aggressive consumerism. Just mountains, prayer flags, and a culture that prioritizes balance.
Maybe that’s why Bhutan feels different. Why the happiness here feels real. It’s not forced, not manufactured—it’s woven into the way life is lived. And after days of hiking, talking, and just being in that energy, I felt it too.
I realized that fear—of love, of change, of what comes next—doesn’t mean I’m not ready. I realized that the quieter I became, the more I could hear.
I left Bhutan truly feeling and believing that I deserve happiness. I left Bhutan lighter. And not because I felt really heavy going in. Not because I had figured everything out, but because I had finally let go of the need to.
And so, I’m back in LA. The noise is back. The distractions are back. But something in me is quieter now. More at peace. And that’s how I know—Bhutan did exactly what it was meant to do.
This life-changing adventure would not have been possible without my friends at The Aman. My first stay at an Aman was five years ago in Utah. As a blogger and social media influencer, over the years I have been so fortunate to experience many incredible luxury hotels. What sets the Aman apart is its unparalleled design, service and overall excellence in hospitality. Every single person who works there is genuinely warm and welcoming, making each stay unforgettable.
I cannot thank the Aman team enough for a once in a life-time opportunity as well as the LDPRTravel team who I have always loved working with.
If you have the opportunity to visit Bhutan, I cannot recommend the Aman lodges enough. No two Amankora Bhutan lodges are alike, yet each offers exceptional service, hospitality, and unforgettable experiences. The offerings included everything from calligraphy classes, riverside BBQ lunch, cooking classes, archery, astrology readings and so much more.
You can find my full itinerary at the bottom of this post.
Day One
-Welcome tea and lunch at Aman Paro Lodge
-Visit Rinpung Dzong (Paro Dzong), a very large dzong Buddhist monastery and fortress – of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school in Paro District, Bhutan. It houses the district Monastic Body as well as government administrative offices of Paro Dzongkhag. It is one of Bhutan’s most iconic dzong.
-Walk across Nyamai Sam, the oldest bridge which means “Bridge of the Great Warrior.”
-Spa time at Lodge
-Bhutanese Calligraphy class at the lodge
Day Two
-Sunrise sound bath and breakfast at the Lodge
-Sunkey Blessing by a Monk
– Hiked “Birds Eye View” of Paro
-Visit Kichu Temple
Day Three
-Hike “Tiger’s Nest”
-Log cabin lunch
-Visit to weaving center
-Stopped by Dochula on drive to Punakha Lodge
-Arrived at Aman Punakha Lodge and enjoyed spa and dinner
Day Four
-Hiked to Golden Temple
-Breakfast in the Temple Garden
-Visit Punakha Dzong
-Crossed over the male river
-BBQ lunch at the river
-Traditional Bhutanese cooking class at the lodge
Day Five
-Morning meditation
-Archery class
-Visit to Chimi Lhakhang. Famously known as the temple of fertility, the Lhakhang draws local people, from near and far, to receive blessings from the lama (monk). The local people also bring their new-borns to be named here. The lhakhang is truly a revered and blessed space for many.
-Visit Buddha Dordenma. The huge 51m-tall steel statue of Buddha Dordenma commands the entry to the Thimphu valley. The massive three-storey base houses a large chapel full of thousands of donated Buddha statuettes, while the body itself is filled with 125,000 smaller statues of Buddha. The chapel roof has some particularly fine mandalas.
-Drive to Thimphu Lodge
-Paper making factory visit and Thangkha painting
Day Six
-Breakfast at Thimphu Lodge
-Chinese Astrology Reading from a 4th generation Bhutanese astrologist
– Rainy day spa time and drive back to Paro
-Paro town shops and back to lodge for final night where we celebrated with a Bhutanese New Year’s dinner
