Goodbye Nepal...for now

After three months of traveling through Nepal, I can easily say I have fallen in love with the country. The people, the food, the mountains, the dogs, all of it. I learned so much from the people I met and the things I did, and for that I am forever grateful. From the Buddhists, I learned about impermanence and compassion. From the Sherpa’s I learned about strength and the importance of family. From the locals of Kathmandu and Pokhara I learned how to be carefree and grateful. From the mountains I learned about strength and determination.

The way of life there is incredible. Simplistic and happy. Everyone takes only the bare minimum and gives back the rest. Nepali life is a family life. Strangers are brother and sister, mainly due to Buddhist belief that we are all family, we just haven’t met each other yet. If someone needs help, everyone is there for them. The communities are so tightknit that it’s hard to walk down a single block without several friendly and enthusiastic conversations. I think Western societies have a lot to learn from Nepali’s. It is too often in our world that we reject a phone call from our parents, or don’t take the time to smile at a stranger and brighten there day, only if just a little. In our world, we become friends through gaining trust but in Nepal, trust is immediate, and thus so is friendship. The differences between our lives and theirs are infinite, but the biggest difference is that they look past it much easier than we do.

Throughout my travels in Nepal, I came across an incredible amount of surprises. It seemed that nothing was what I had pictured. The mountains were a thousand times more massive than I ever imagined, the people a thousand times more hospitable, the rudimentary lifestyle a thousand times barer, etc. I think the biggest surprise of all is a tie between the mountains and the economy. The first time I saw the Himalayan Mountains, I almost cried. The size was unimaginable and the peaks were so incredibly steep that it looked like they could topple over at any second. My time in the Himalayan range was unforgettable. There were very few moments where I was unhappy or wanted it to be over, but they were just that; moments. What was so surprising about the economy was that there was no %1. Everyone was poor, some just slightly less than others. In the three months that I was in Nepal, I did not see a single fancy building that showed off its wealth. This might sound weird but I loved that. It was so great to see people so happy with what perceive as so little. A lot of houses are made from spare tin or stones and walls separating rooms is a luxury, as are outhouses, running water and multiple beds. Then again, houses are a luxury. One of the things I get the most annoyed with back home is people with three cars, five televisions, four bedrooms they don’t need, massive amounts of clothing, etc. We don’t need these things and Nepali lifestyle is the proof.

Although I can rant and rage about how much I love Nepal, it definitely wasn’t always that way. I had several days, even almost whole weeks, where I was so fed up with getting stared at, asked to buy things, fake holy men, etc. that I just wanted to give up and go home. These days were mostly within the first month that I was here. Over time, I realized through the people I met and places I saw that this place I am in is beautiful and I shouldn’t waste a second of it. Of course, I still have those days where I miss my friends or I’m sad about not being able to go to homecoming, but in a little over five short weeks, I’ll be home and missing Nepal and India. Although I miss them now, and I’ll miss here then, I know that there is no time but the present, and I might as well enjoy it.