EVEREST LIVE

Dispatch May 14, 2001

From: Reba Bull

Unexpected Gifts

Reba Bull.

My expectations of how base camp life was going to be were only what my husband, Brad had told me. I had been informed of the intense beauty. Now I have see first hand the glorious peaks that surround us, the warmth of the sun, and the shimmer of stars and moonlight. All of which are more beautiful than words can express.

I also wondered what I was going to do with all of this time on my hands. I considered my official position to be a supportive and loving wife to Brad and daughter-in-law to Sherman. My second job: baker. This has been a blast! At first, Tenzing, Mingma, ManKumar, and Pasang (the Sherpas who run the kitchen) thought, "who is this crazy American girl in our kitchen?" But time has passed, and now I can say that we all look forward to spending time together. We sing songs in both English and Nepalese, we learn new words (mostly baking ingredients), and we share stories and information about our homes and families. I can’t wait to see their smiling faces every morning.

From left to Right: Zac German, Maurice Peret, Reba Bull, Kim Johnson, Jonathan McDonagh, Jason Dimmig, and Kevin Cherilla. Photo by Didrik Johnck.

I was also curious how 13 climbers and a few lingering "base campers" from many different backgrounds were going to get along. However, everyone works so well together to benefit one another. Every single person contributes to make this a great place. We’ve shared the details of our lives, our hopes and desires (sometimes food that we crave!), and talk of our families and friends…from children to grandparents! I am truly grateful for the relationships that I have built with both climbers and others in base camp. Being put into such an intimate situation, we’ve been given an opportunity. These new people in my life, from Nepal and the United States, have been such unexpected gifts.