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</div></div>  <div id="main-wrapper" class="clearfix"><div id="main" class="clearfix"> <div id="content" class="column"><div class="section"> <a id="main-content"></a> <div class="region region-content"> <div id="block-blockify-blockify-page-title" class="block block-blockify"> <div class="content"> <h1 class="title" id="page-title">Lion’s Den</h1> </div> </div> <div id="block-system-main" class="block block-system"> <div class="content"> <div id="taxonomy-term-46" class="taxonomy-term vocabulary-sections"> <div class="content"> <div class="taxonomy-term-description"><p><span>Personal essays that offer a glimpse into one alum’s life</span></p></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-block-6" class="block block-block"> <div class="content"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=ra-50ec80aa7d0bf51d"></script><div class="addthis_sharing_toolbox"> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-views-article-category-block" class="block block-views"> <div class="content"> <div class="view view-article-category view-id-article_category view-display-id-block view-dom-id-e36bdf3811f7912df35347b075256468"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <h1 class="views-field views-field-title"> A Pressure Cooker, a Pandemic and a Prophecy </h1> <div class="views-field views-field-field-article-date"> <div class="field-content"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2022-12-15T00:00:00-05:00">Thursday, December 15, 2022</span></div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-field-byline"> <div class="field-content">By Zak Aldridge ’19</div> </div> <div class="views-field views-field-body"> <div class="field-content"><p><span class="dropcap">I</span> wasn’t looking for a miracle, but on March 23, 2020, with two weeks’ worth of clothes in my bag, an unusable plane ticket in my hand and a Nepali airport guard shrugging his shoulders at me, a miracle is exactly what I got.</p> <p>“Your flight was canceled this morning. The airline went bankrupt.”</p> <div class="media media-element-container media-image_half_page media-wysiwyg-align-right"><img alt="KTM temple photo upscaled" class="media-element file-image-half-page" data-delta="3" typeof="Image" src="https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/sites/default/files/styles/50_width/public/KTM%20temple%20photo%20upscaled.png?itok=E3mQ3_cW" width="640" height="480" /><div class="field field-name-field-file-image-caption field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <p><span>Pullahari Monastery, Kathmandu; March 9, 2020.</span></p> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-file-image-credit field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <p><span>Michael Hockstein</span></p> </div> </div>As the guard’s words sank in, the pandemonium around me faded to grey. Foreigners were rushing on Tribhuvan Airport, frantically trying to fly out before the Covid-19 lockdown sealed them into Kathmandu. There were many flushed faces, some screaming, some crying, some overcome with relief … and then there was me, a 23-year-old from Upstate New York with a teaching job in Thailand and a mind fluttering between trepidation and awe. <p><br /><em>Something is happening here,</em> my heart told me. <em>There is more to learn</em>.</p> <p>What began as a two-week visit eventually became a two-and-a-half-year stay.</p> <p>But this miraculous adventure began even earlier, at the College. After graduation, my Buddhist studies professor, Tom Yarnall GSAS’03, suggested I check out an institute in Kathmandu where Tibetan Buddhism is taught to westerners in a monastic setting. This is what originally brought me there on holiday from teaching, but I could never have guessed how it would unfold, the river of chance bending in my favor again and again.</p> <p>Departing from the surreal scene at the airport, I managed to secure my first-ever apartment, buy a pressure cooker and several pounds of rice and beans, and reassure my parents that I’d be all right.</p> <p>Lockdown restrictions took effect the following morning: No one was allowed outdoors except between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., to buy essential goods. Anyone in the streets after that time would be given a good <em>thwomp</em> with a policeman’s truncheon and sent promptly home. No private vehicles were permitted on the roads and the airport was completely closed to commercial flights. As humans retreated, the infamous dust of Kathmandu settled to the ground. Sun and Moon dealt the politics of day and night while the eagles and distant peaks of the Himalayas claimed the skyline at dawn and dusk.</p> <p>I turned inward, and the months went by contentedly, spent in study and practice, and training my hips, knees and back to sit comfortably on the floor for long periods of time. A local monastery offered free meals to stranded foreigners at a place called Utpala Cafe; on most days I snuck around police checkpoints to get there, and met many people who became friends and mentors. But there was one problem: My heart was full, but my wallet wasn’t. When I’d arrived in Nepal I was in the middle of a yearlong teaching contract in Thailand; now that circumstance forced me to resign, I had to get creative.</p> <div class="media media-element-container media-image_half_page media-wysiwyg-align-right"><img alt="Zak and Sam Aldridge" class="media-element file-image-half-page" data-delta="2" typeof="Image" src="https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/sites/default/files/styles/50_width/public/Zak%20and%20Sam%20Aldridge.jpg?itok=RqGxWMDE" width="720" height="430" /><div class="field field-name-field-file-image-caption field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <p><span>Zak </span>Aldridge ’19 <span>and Sam Aldridge ’19</span></p> </div> <div class="field field-name-field-file-image-credit field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"> <p>Jason Visc</p> </div> </div>Enter the <a href="https://www.ivyessayguild.com/">Ivy Essay Guild</a>. Having helped a friend — now a Harvard senior — write her personal statement for college admission, I decided to launch an online college prep business with my twin brother, Sam Aldridge ’19. It worked. In our first year, we helped students get accepted to Barnard, Columbia, Rice, Penn and more. We made master class videos 7,000 miles apart and spliced them together to advertise on social media. Our best friend, Nivita Arora SEAS’19, designed a website for us (and also taught me how to <em>properly </em>use my pressure cooker), and suddenly, a precarious experiment in Kathmandu was flowering into something much greater than expected. <p><br />In January 2022, my family came to visit for three weeks and on the night of their departure Sam announced, “I’d like to stay.” We lived together for the next six months in a bougainvillea-enwreathed home that had been serendipitously offered to me by an expat couple, and passed the days in writing work, meditation, Sam’s <em>sarod</em> playing, and discussions of love and wisdom.</p> <p>Sam and I returned to America together last summer after what had been, for me, three years abroad. Continuing to help students apply to college, I recalled my own personal statement, where I wrote of an unplanned meeting with a Thai palm reader when I was 17. The palm reader told me that I’d live overseas for three years after graduating from college “due to some problem in the world.” Little did I know then what silver lining that problem would reveal.</p> <p><br /><br /> </p> <div class="media media-element-container media-image_quarter_page media-wysiwyg-align-right"><img alt="Zak headshot" class="media-element file-image-quarter-page" data-delta="1" typeof="Image" src="https://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/sites/default/files/styles/25_width/public/Zak%20headshot.png?itok=Ts9us0Mt" width="360" height="385" /></div><strong>Zak Aldridge ’19</strong> <em>is the founder of </em><a href="https://www.ivyessayguild.com/">Ivy Essay Guild</a><em>, a consultation service that specializes in college admissions essays. He currently resides in Nepal, where he works remotely helping students get accepted to their desired schools and where he can be found practicing Buddhism, studying the stars, teaching Arabic and making something tasty in his pressure cooker.</em></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="attachment attachment-after"> <div class="view view-article-category view-id-article_category view-display-id-attachment_1 box"> <div class="view-header"> <h2 class="">More “Lion’s Den”</h2> </div> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/lessons-quarantine-sri-lanka">“Lessons in Quarantine from Sri Lanka” </a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/making-pandemic-personal-one-meal-time-dara-shapiro-14">“Making the Pandemic Personal, One Meal at a Time”</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/satisfying-murder-checklist-charles-philipp-martin-76">“The Satisfying Murder: A Checklist,” by Charles Philipp Martin ’76</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/republic-if-you-can-keep-it-neil-m-gorsuch-88">“A Republic, If You Can Keep It,” by Neil M. Gorsuch ’88</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/directors-assistant-rebecca-prime-96">“The Director’s Assistant,” by Rebecca Prime ’96</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lion%E2%80%99s-den/come-away-come-away-marina-chan-17">“Come Away, Come Away,” by Marina Chan ’17</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/my-darkest-moment-columbia-richard-snow-70">“My ‘Darkest’ Moment at Columbia,” by Richard Snow ’70</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-8 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/disrupting-culture-silence-schools-brendon-jobs-05">“Disrupting the Culture of Silence in Schools,” by Brendon Jobs ’05</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-9 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/staying-city-your-mind-ben-ratliff-90">“Staying in the City of Your Mind,” by Ben Ratliff ’90</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-10 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/meditations-my-front-porch-susan-harlan-99">“Meditations on My Front Porch,” by Susan Harlan ’99</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-11 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/reading-writing-and-not-much-else-miriam-parker-00">“Reading, Writing and … Not Much Else,” by Miriam Parker ’00</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-12 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/paradise-bleeds-sonia-dandona-hirdaramani-02">“Paradise Bleeds,” by Sonia Dandona Hirdaramani ’02</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-13 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/influence-influencers-dan-trepanier-09">“The Age of Influencers,” by Dan Trepanier ’09</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-14 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/soundtrack-arab-identity-daniel-lazour-16">“A Soundtrack of Arab Identity” by Daniel Lazour ’16</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-15 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/my-two-biggest-fears-comic-ariel-schrag-03">“My Two Biggest Fears”: A Comic by Ariel Schrag ’03</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-16 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/will-cooking-make-you-better-musician-pj-sauerteig-15">“Will Cooking Make You a Better Musician?” by PJ Sauerteig ’15</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-17 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/living-your-best-life-ivelisse-rodriguez-97">“Living Your Best Life?” by Ivelisse Rodriguez ’97</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-18 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/-greatest-book-world-ian-lendler-96">“The Greatest Book In The World,” by Ian Lendler ’96</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-19 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/when-good-genes-fail-dr-tali-lando-aronoff-00">“When Good Genes Fail,” by Dr. Tali Lando Aronoff ’00</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-20 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/food-thought-william-stadiem-69">“Food for Thought,” by William Stadiem ’69</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-21 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/london-calling-robyn-burgess-10">“London Calling,” by Robyn Burgess ’10</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-22 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/canon-father-adam-valen-levinson-10">“Canon Father,” by Adam Valen Levinson ’10</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-23 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/-youngest-room-mansbach-98">“The Youngest in the Room,” by Adam Mansbach ’98</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-24 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/-point-departure-atossa-araxia-abrahamian-08-jrn11">“A Point of Departure” by Atossa Araxia Abrahamian ’08, JRN’11</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-25 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/skyping-brazil-phillip-lopate-64">“Skyping Brazil” by Phillip Lopate ’64</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-26 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/one-roadster-richard-snow-70">“One for the Roadster,” by Richard Snow ’70</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-27 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/around-world-accordion-sam-reider-11">“Around the World with an Accordion” by Sam Reider ’11</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-28 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/pregnant-subway-comic-ariel-schrag-03">“Pregnant on the Subway”: A Comic by Ariel Schrag ’03</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-29 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/-running-start-ben-ratliff-90">“A Running Start,” by Ben Ratliff ’90</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-30 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/rewriting-rules-mac-and-cheese-robyn-burgess-10">Rewriting the Rules of Mac and Cheese, by Robyn Burgess ’10</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-31 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/a-world-apart-natalia-mehlman-petrzela-00">A “World” Apart by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela ’00</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-32 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/village-voice-print-edition-rip-michael-musto-76"><em>Village Voice</em> Print Edition, RIP by Michael Musto ’76</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-33 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lion%E2%80%99s-den/%E2%80%9Cbirthing-class-twice%E2%80%9D-adam-mansbach-%E2%80%9998">“Birthing Class, Twice.” by Adam Mansbach ’98 </a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-34 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lion%E2%80%99s-den/%E2%80%9Cthings-i-regret%E2%80%9D-comic-ariel-schrag-%E2%80%9903">“Things I Regret”: A Comic by Ariel Schrag ’03</a></span> </div> </div> <div class="views-row views-row-35 views-row-odd views-row-last"> <div class="views-field views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/cct/latest/lions-den/historian-basement-ben-ratliff-90">“The Historian in the Basement” by Ben Ratliff ’90</a></span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div>  </div></div>  <div id="footer-wrapper"><div class="section"> <div id="footer-columns" class="clearfix"> <div class="region region-footer-firstcolumn"> <div id="block-block-1" 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