- Jul 15, 2026
- by Ashley Chen
- 131
A Chance Encounter Led Me Back to Bhutan, and Changed How I See the World
A personal journey of reconnecting with a childhood caregiver leads to an unforgettable experience exploring Bhutan's culture, people, and lasting sense of peace.
Some of the most meaningful journeys begin long before we realise it.
When I first met Poonam, I was only two or three years old. My family had recently moved to New York, and she became part of our lives. I was too young to remember those years clearly. What remains are small fragments, faces, familiar scents, and moments that stayed somewhere in my memory.
Poonam cared for me for around two or three years. By the time she returned to Bhutan, I was about five or six years old. As the years passed, we lost contact. It was not that I forgot her. Life simply moved on, and she became part of my early childhood that I rarely thought about.
An Unlikely Reunion Begins in New York
Many years later, I was preparing to move to Singapore for six months. Before relocating, I travelled to New York for work.
I stepped into a taxi, and the driver introduced himself as Karma. Out of the thousands of taxi drivers in New York City, he happened to be from Bhutan.
Heavy snowfall had closed many roads, turning a short journey into a long conversation. During the ride, I mentioned that someone from Bhutan had once been an important part of my childhood.
I asked him, "Do you know Poonam Gurung?"
To my surprise, he did.
Not only did he know her, but she was also a close friend. Out of everyone I could have met that day, I had found the one person who could reconnect me with someone I had not seen for more than a decade.
That unexpected conversation brought back memories I had not revisited in years.
Bhutan Finds Me Again
Soon afterwards, I arrived in Singapore and was assigned to work on a project with Druk Asia involving the National Museum of Paro as part of the Museums of Bhutan fundraising project. The project focused on reimagining the visitor experience and helping shape the museum's future potential.
Out of every destination I could have been sent to, it was Bhutan.
The connection felt impossible to ignore. My curiosity continued to grow, and I decided to make the journey.
Before travelling, I knew very little about Bhutan. Like many people, I had heard of the country but knew almost nothing about it. I soon realised that was a missed opportunity.
A Different Pace of Life
The first thing that struck me was the atmosphere.
The moment I stepped off the plane in Paro, I felt an immediate sense of calm. Even the airport reflected a quietness that is rare in modern travel.
Airports are usually crowded and noisy. Paro Airport was different.
That feeling stayed with me throughout my visit.
Reuniting with Poonam
We arranged to meet Poonam at a small café in Thimphu.
Seeing her again was difficult to describe. She recognised the little boy she had once cared for, now standing before her as an adult. The last time we had met, I was only a child.
The reunion was deeply personal.
We spent the day together, visiting her home, learning about her life in Bhutan, and sharing stories about both of our families. It was not simply about reconnecting after many years. It was about rediscovering a part of my own history.
Discovering Bhutan Beyond the Reunion
Beyond seeing Poonam, Bhutan was unlike anywhere I have ever been. It is so unique and liberating – it feels like stepping into another time, a place where the world slowed down and never rushed to catch up.
I learned about local traditions and Buddhist philosophy, both of which I find genuinely fascinating, and the conversations I had there were mind-blowing.
Travelling through Bhutan never felt like simply moving between destinations; the journey itself became the experience.
Above all, what stayed with me most was the silence. Outside the towns, there was remarkably little traffic or noise—a level of quiet I had rarely experienced or known existed anywhere else.
Looking Beyond Appearances
One experience in particular changed my perspective.
Before arriving in Bhutan, I had travelled through several countries in Asia, including Indonesia and the Philippines. In many places, children were curious about seeing a foreign visitor.
Bhutan receives relatively few international tourists, so I expected similar reactions.
Instead, as I walked through Thimphu, almost nobody paid me special attention.
Curious, I asked my guide from SoulTrips, TP, why that was.
He explained that Bhutanese people tend to place greater importance on a person's character than on outward appearance.
Whether someone looks different, speaks another language, or comes from another country matters far less than who they are as an individual.
That conversation stayed with me. It reflected something I continued to notice throughout my visit.
A Guide Who Brought Bhutan to Life
TP became one of the most memorable people I met during my time in Bhutan.
He was generous with his knowledge, patient in answering questions, and thoughtful in explaining Bhutanese history, culture, and Buddhist philosophy.
Through his guidance, places became more than landmarks.
The hike to Tiger's Nest Monastery was one of the highlights of the journey. Set high on a cliff above the Paro Valley, it is one of Bhutan's best-known cultural and spiritual sites. Seeing it in person left a lasting impression.
A Journey That Stays With You
I am still only twenty years old, and I have been fortunate to travel to many places.
Yet Bhutan stands apart.
The country gave me the chance to reconnect with someone who shaped my earliest years. It also introduced me to a different way of thinking about community, culture, and everyday life.
If I had to describe Bhutan in one word, it would be peace.
Not peace simply as the absence of conflict, but a quiet confidence that seems woven into daily life. It is a feeling that remains long after the journey ends, and something extremely rare in my personal experience.
This article was contributed by Max Gaume, a French national who was raised in New York and is currently studying for a Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management at EHL, with a semester based in Singapore. His interest in Bhutan began while working on a consultancy project for the National Museum of Paro. During his visit to the country, that professional connection evolved into a deeply personal journey of rediscovery.