My long Trip to India

Lars van Rome was born in 1950. From an early age hewas influenced by the creative environment of his parentswho worked in education. In 1968 he began studying tobecome an art and history teacher but dropped out at theend of 1969 to pursue more creative pursuits. He wrotehis first poems which were published in 2011. In 1970 hetransferred to the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg wherehe intensified his passion for art. In 1971/72 Lars van Romeundertook extensive travels throughout Europe. In 1973 and1974 he found himself in India and crossed the Middle Eastand Afghanistan three times with a sleeping bag and a onemantent. In the Himalayas not far from the Tibetan borderhe settled in a mountain hut for many months. A formativeexperience for him was a meeting with Lama Govinda hisrole model and the author of the bestseller The Way of theWhite Clouds.After a short period of military service and subsequentcivilian service Lars van Rome married in October 1977. Themarriage ended tragically in 1979 with the death of his firstwife. But fate gave him another great love: Gila his secondwife with whom he spent 45 happy years until her suddendeath in October 2024.Since then Lars has been struggling with a deep crisis ofmeaning and purpose in his life: severely disabled andplagued by severe depression he now lives alone with hisfaithful dog Artus.