Preparing for Bhutan: Practical Steps & Inspired Mindset
As September draws to a close, I’ll be boarding a flight to a place that has long lived in my imagination: Bhutan.
Known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon, Bhutan is a country where monasteries cling to cliffsides, prayer flags ripple in the wind, and time seems to slow into a rhythm of mindfulness and beauty.
This trip will be a personal adventure and a creative reset, but as any small business owner knows, stepping away requires both careful planning and intentional presence. Preparing for Bhutan has become a twofold process: setting my team up for success at home, and getting myself ready to travel with eyes—and heart—wide open.
The Practical Side: Preparing the Studio
Running a small business means the work doesn’t pause when I step onto a plane. My first layer of preparation has been ensuring that the studio continues to flow smoothly while I’m away:
Clear Delegation: Assigning key responsibilities and making sure every project has a point person empowered to make decisions.
Communications Plan: Outlining what requires my input and what doesn’t, so the team feels confident moving forward without unnecessary pauses.
Client Touchpoints: Setting expectations with clients before I go—sharing timelines, assuring them of continued progress, and introducing them to the team members who will be their main contacts.
Space to Lead: Trusting my team to rise to the occasion. These moments often reveal just how capable and creative they are, and it’s rewarding to see them shine.
The goal isn’t simply to keep things afloat while I’m gone—it’s to give the studio space to operate with strength and independence.
The Visionary Side: Preparing Myself
The other half of my preparation has been less about logistics and more about mindset. Traveling to Bhutan feels like an invitation to be fully present—to soak up textures, colors, landscapes, and traditions that will inevitably weave their way back into my work.
Outfits as Ritual: In a place of such beauty, I want to dress in a way that feels intentional and respectful. I’m planning a capsule wardrobe of soft layers, warm earth tones, and breathable fabrics that allow ease of movement while blending into the landscape.
Creative Tools: A sketchbook for capturing patterns, a camera for documenting architectural details, and space in my carry-on for a few treasures that might inspire future projects.
Openness: Perhaps the most important preparation is not packing too tightly—whether with schedules or expectations. Inspiration rarely arrives on cue; it comes in moments of quiet, in unexpected encounters, in the stillness between destinations.
Here are a few links to the looks I’m putting together for the trip:
Holding Space for Both
Preparing for Bhutan has reminded me that there are two kinds of readiness: the practical readiness that gives us peace of mind, and the visionary readiness that makes space for wonder. By tending to both, I can step onto the plane with clarity—knowing the studio is thriving back home and trusting myself to be fully present in the extraordinary journey ahead.
