Nepal, July 18 -- Eyes are indeed an incredible thing. They are but silent storytellers-keepers of wonder, sorrow, and joy. For some, like Bilbo Baggins, it took a change in the eyes to become an adventurer, to finally leave his cozy but lonely Bag End and step out for the journey of a lifetime.

At 64, Elsa doesn't remember much about that anymore. It felt like eons since she had read anything that wasn't a cookbook. Become a cook- that was never the plan! But then again, when did her life ever follow the intended path? She didn't want to go down one of her thought spirals, or the rabbit hole of 'what ifs'. She wasn't one of those roly-poly dolls that would get back up unscathed, should it fall. Even the years of hardships, living among...