For a while now I've known and have been thankful for the countless women who have acted as mothers and role models in my life. I am surrounded by strong, independent, caring, kind, hilarious, genuine, positive women who inspire me every day to be the best person I can be. Something I am only recently becoming aware of is the number of men who have played similar roles.
Two such men were Bhim Jyoti Shakya and Jeff Kalbach.
I've been meaning to write about Bhim for a few months now, but somehow couldn't find the words. My learning of the death of Jeff Kalbach pushed the emotions over the edge.
Bhim Jyoti Shakya was one of my home stay fathers the first time I was in Nepal. We never had intense intellectual conversations—we mostly laughed as he teased my aamaa and when he was otherwise getting himself into trouble. Still, we were never able to say goodbye to each other. We both would have cried, and if I'm being honest, did anyway. Some of my most treasured moments are the simple times we would be sitting together, drinking tea, eating biscuits, and watching something on the Discovery channel. I will always be able to recall the gleam in his eyes as he smiled or laughed, the way he would ask if he looked ok, and the way he would justify the tiny shots of Nepali wine he would take with dinner. I spent a total of 2 months with him, but I will always consider him to be my father. Sometimes souls connect and there is absolutely no way to describe it.
Jeff Kalbach was the captain of the ship the first time my family went to Baja California. This trip changed my life. I was nine years old and I found my passion. Jeff was one of the first people to inspire me to pursue marine biology and give me advice on what I should do to make my dreams realities. This trip represents the time I became truly aware of the importance of nature and our role in conserving and engaging with it. Even today I had so many plans of meeting with Jeff again and pushing myself further into the world of marine biology and conservation.
I don't tell people enough how much they inspire me—how influential the memory of their smile can be to my every day. I hope Bhim and Jeff (and the many, many others still living) can feel the motivation, passion, love, and gratitude currently radiating from my core. Hugging the universe.
