Depression can be like a fog, thick and heavy, obscuring all but the brightest of lights. But, with effort, we can begin to cut through it and see the light of dawn.

While it's always hard to be away, it's always good to be back.

Of all sides of Everest - the south from Nepal, the north from Tibet, and the east, also from Tibet - it is the eastern approach via the Kama and Kangshung Valleys, which are the most stunning.

As I work on my ballot this morning, I’m going to resist the temptation – a very real one – to take the easy road, the comfortable one, and vote a partisan line. Instead, I’ll do my best to digest all I’ve read and researched, to implement my values and vote with my heart, not my wallet; vote with my mind, not my party; vote for the future, not the short-term; vote with compassion for all rather than contempt for and fear of some.