From Brahma to Buddha, Fall 2007

Hello. My name is Nathan Royal and I come from the icy reaches of Anchorage, Alaska. For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with Indian culture, music, and art. During the course of this year I have begun to explore the possibilities of traveling to other countries to achieve a better understanding of the world outside of the United States.

Music is my biggest attraction to India. As a musician I see music as one of the highest art forms, and some of the best music in the world is Indian. I listen to Ravi Shankar and Anoushka Shankar on a regular basis and have recently acquired a sitar and have (unsuccessfully) experimented with it.

Never in my life have I traveled outside of the United States and I feel that my view of the world is lacking luster.

This trip will open my eyes!

Nathan