It was year 1999 in our house. It was July 19th. That night was a cold night. I was tossing and turning trying to get warm. It was no use.

When I woke up the next morning, I fell out of my bed. It seemed like a longer fall than before. I stood up and the wind blew me across the room. On my bed sat my mothers huge World Atlas. This atlas was so big and so heavy, it could could break an apple straight in two.

I was blown across the room to my door and strangly slipped under it. The crack trough my door was highly impossible to get under. I wouldnÕt have been able to fit under the crack of my door ten years ago when I was first born.

I stood up and I felt as if my feet where made of paper. When I walked into the living room where there was a big mirror I saw I was only about 25 inches tall. I was as flat as could be. I remembered that that day was an important day. It was the 20th of July. That date was my birthday.

My parents heard a scream in the living room (which was me: and ran in in their robes as quickly as possible. They looked around to see who made the loud scream. I said " down here mom and dad." My parents looked at me and then screamed themselves.

That woke up my sister. My sister ran in the room. My parents told her to look on the ground. My sister also let out a scream in horror. My parents asked me to tell them how all of this had happened. I told them about the Atlas. The very big, very heavy Atlas.

While I told my parents my story, my sister was in the other room to get my birthday gift. All she brought me was an envelope. What a great 11th birthday present, I thought! I opened it, and there was nothing inside. My sister told me to hop in. On the back of the envelope there was an address in Nepal where my 24 year old cousin lives.

That is how my whole adventure started. The first thing we did to get me ready to go to Nepal was to figure out how much time it would toke to get there. My mom went to the post office and found out it took 1 day and a half. It was the the 20th of July so I would arrive in Nepal on the 21 at about 6:00 pm. So I got posted off.

My cousin Courtny was amassed when she found out about my flat self. She had everything planed and she was ready to have fun. It was late so we were going to start our 3 days of fun the next morning.

Day 1

This morning we woke up to the Nepalese song of bells chimming. The bells were coming from the nearby temple. I woke up at about sunrise time. It was amazing how I had adjusted to the 5 hour and 15 minute time difference.

When I woke up I drank Nepali tea. It was lovely, yet it was sweet and milky. I already new my Nepali adventure was going to be worth while. At 8:00 am I was hungry for my breakfast. Courtny explained to me that the Nepali people do not eat their Nepali traditional meal which is rice, vegetables and lentil bean soup until around 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

I think the Nepalis have awfully interesting traditions. In the afternoon my cousin and I took a trip to the Temple. (Picture) This Temple was called the Hindu Temple. The Temple that played the bells that morning. At the temple I received a " Tika" the traditional red dot people from the Hindu religion wear on there head. "Tika" means you have had a nice day and if you travel, you got home safe.

Courtney and I went home and ate the meal I explained earlier. And then we were tired and went to bed.

Day 2

This morning I woke so hungry. So hungry I could eat a whole pig. Well, I guess I was not that hungry. Anyway, I started whining to Courtny. I was saying, "I am so hungry, feed me."

Courtny said we needed to go to the market and buy some fruit and vegetables. Courtny took my small hand and started to walk to the little market. Courtney told about the market.

She explained, "See Flat Hannah, The closes grocery is in Katmandu, so we have to go this the market." We arrived at the market and I met the nice men who owned the stand with fruit and vegetables. I wanted to get apples so I had to get them myself. I climbed up and then when I turned around Courtny snuck a picture of me. She ( Courtny ) always does that.

We went back to Courtny's tent and ate breakfast. Courtny said she wanted to surprise me and she took me to a lady. The lady was going to pierce my left nose. Courtny said it was a tradition for the women to get there left nose pierced.

That very evening Courtny took me to the Capital Katmandu were 2 million people lived. We went to a big valley and took a ride on a buggy. ( Picture ) I was tired from a long day. Courtny was asleep. Tomorrow is my last day and Courtny said she was planning on taking me to see were she worked in the western part of Katmandu, but there is no time. Tomorrow is a New Year in Nepal, so we will have fun.

Day 3

Today Courtney got me up to go to the huge Buddhist Temple to celebrate the big Tibetan New Year. The Buddhist Temple is hundreds of years old. Flags were blowing in the wind and the friends of Courtny were with us at the Buddhist Temple. ( Picture ) I was looking at the Temple and noticed the white capped Himalaying Mountain in the background. Nepal has the biggest mountains in the world. I was happy I was there to see them.

Way Home- I was ready to go and I was all packed. All of Courtney's friends were there to say good bye. Everyone walked me to the post and dropped me in. Courtney gave me a sandwich for the way home. In the mail I was squashed. I got home safe and I had to admit--hat was the best birthday ever.