From early-morning calls with New Zealand to planning Himalayan journeys
What does a typical day look like for me?
The honest answer is that there isn't really a typical day. That is one of the things I enjoy most about my role.
My time is divided between First Steps Himalaya (FSH) and Beyond the Clouds (BTC), our social enterprise. BTC organises treks and tours in the Himalayas, with its profits supporting FSH's work in Nepal.
Some days are mainly FSH-focused; on others, BTC takes up much of my time. More often, the two overlap. I’m currently in the UK, which means the working day in New Zealand is finishing as mine begins. When I'm in Nepal, the rhythm is quite different, with much more time spent face-to-face with our team and partners.
6.00am – and New Zealand is already well into its day
When I'm in the UK, my working day can start early.
At 6.00am, it is 5.00pm in New Zealand, making it a useful time to catch up with the NZ team before their day finishes. The conversation might be about finance, a Beyond the Clouds booking, something that needs resolving or a decision that can't wait until the following day.
Before breakfast, I try to fit in a short online yoga session. I spend a lot of the day sitting at my desk, so getting my body moving first thing makes a real difference. I also enjoy getting out for a morning walk a little later. Those breaks are important when so much of my day involves sitting, thinking and being on a screen.
When I'm in the UK, my working day starts early.
Where does the day take me?
A large part of my FSH role is looking beyond the immediate; thinking about our strategic direction, where we want to go next and whether we have the funding and structures in place to support that ambition.
That might mean working on a donor report, reviewing funding, developing policies, contacting board members or discussing priorities with my co-founder, Durga Aran, and our Nepal Project Manager, Ranjana.
When I'm in Nepal, I have the opportunity to spend more time with the team in person. Durga and I might sit down with Ranjana to discuss project ideas, budgets or plans. Durga's knowledge of Nepal and our work there is invaluable, and these conversations can range from the bigger picture to the practical details of making a project happen.
I also really enjoy getting out to visit the schools and projects we support. I don't get to do this as often as I would like, but when I do, it is incredibly rewarding to see the progress for myself – particularly the changes taking place in classrooms as teachers put new ideas and approaches into practice.
And one of the things I especially enjoy is guiding visitors on our Visit the Projects trips. Being able to introduce people to the schools and communities we work with, and to see their reaction when they meet the people behind FSH's work, is very special. It brings the connection between supporters and our work in Nepal to life in a way that no report or photograph quite can.
And then there is Beyond the Clouds
Travel planning often starts a long way before the traveller arrives.
We are currently talking to yoga teachers who want to bring groups of students to Bhutan; not next month, but in October 2027 and into 2028.
Planning group travel this far ahead means looking at itineraries, accommodation, transport, guides, pricing and availability. There are many moving parts, and the earlier we start, the more options we have.
I love this part of the work. There is something rather wonderful about helping someone imagine their Himalayan journey long before they actually arrive – and eventually seeing that journey become a reality.
And then there are the totally unexpected moments – the things no diary or schedule can prepare you for. A roadside breakdown, an unexpected change of plan or something that suddenly needs sorting out can quickly turn a carefully planned day on its head!
Sometimes, those are the moments that make the best stories.
The less glamorous bits
Of course, not every day involves strategic thinking or Himalayan adventures!
There are bookings to check, quotes to review, emails to answer and social media posts to write.
There are policies to draft, reports to finish and unexpected problems that need sorting out.
Running two small organisations means wearing quite a few hats. I might spend part of the morning thinking about FSH's strategy over the next few years and then find myself dealing with a practical booking question or checking a quote for a BTC client.
It's varied, sometimes wonderfully so, and occasionally exhausting!
Looking further ahead
One of the things I enjoy most about my role is being able to think about both today and several years from now.
With FSH, that means making sure we have the funding and capacity to support projects properly and thinking carefully about where we can make the greatest difference.
With Beyond the Clouds, it means planning journeys well ahead and working with our teams and clients to make those trips possible.
The two organisations are very different, but both require patience, planning and a willingness to think beyond the immediate.
There is rarely a quiet day.
But after all these years, I still feel incredibly fortunate to be working with people I care deeply about, across Nepal, New Zealand, Bhutan and beyond.
And tomorrow will almost certainly look different from today.