Lya Badgley

Myanmar continues to face immense challenges as the civil war drags on, with military crackdowns and armed resistance throughout the country. Inflation and power cuts exacerbate the hardship, yet here in Yangon, life seems to continue as usual with bustling shopping malls and full restaurants creating a surreal vibe.

I was happy to visit 50th Street Restaurant – a project I started thirty years ago and visit dear friends, including renowned Burmese author, Ma Thanegi.

I spent my sixty-seventh birthday and the first anniversary of the release of my novel, The Worth of a Ruby, with dear friends and family. Returning to Myanmar is an exercise in nostalgia. As Anthony Bourdain says, “Travel isn’t about finding yourself, it’s about remembering who you’ve been all along.”