Reinterpreting Kathmandu

When I first stepped off the plane from Washington, DC out into the bustle of taxis, horns, children, and cows, Kathmandu was a sensory assault. My first month of adjustment to getting up and going to bed early, taking rice, dodging motorists and inhaling exhaust prepared me for the beginning of our travels throughout Nepal.

Through traveling I developed a new understanding of lifestyle- and by that I mean not the material ’stuffs’ we surround ourselves with, but the luxuries of human rights which are so readily taken for granted, even by myself. The freedom of having a personal identity, and the capability of crafting my own creative image gives me more wealth than dollars and cents ever could. Traveling to Kathmandu provided perspective on Asia, living in another country, and life in the developing world. Moving throughout Nepal showed me the immense luxury of the Kathmandu metropolis, which offers equality, social justice, and (superficially) any food your tummy could long for.

Experientially this all offers more than I could have dreamt, and Kathmandu has its own pockets of comfort. My neighborhood in Thapathali is full of kites hanging in the sky, children playing, the scent of spices roasting in mustard oil, uniformed children walking to school, men pushing bicycles of produce shouting, and small metal bells waking God up in the morning. The woman I buy samosas from can set her watch by my 10:30 visits, and the fruit man knows I want two kilos of mango. He helps me find the ripest few. At night the dogs bark like mad, but the monsoon showers quiet their cries. Creating a paste of basmati rice, black dal, saag and daikon pickle, my fingers know just how to scoop up a bite and pop it into my mouth. My feet have learned new shortcuts between the houses and my nose knows whether the woman next door is frying timmur, jimbu, or cumin.

More than the external senses of this place, my heart has found a space in those of others. The people I have met here have shown me endless hospitality, humor, and love. Although I came into their life with an expiration date, these people I am so proud to call my friends, accepted me without apprehension or self-consciousness. Rather than guarding their heart from the foreigner who already had one foot back in America, they welcomed me into their homes and lives.

Kathmandu has offered perspective in so many ways it’s difficult to understand how this experience will change me. JB asked me last night at our final going-away dinner what I will remember about Nepal, and how I will be different from this experience. Integrating Nepal into my American life will have to wait until I return to the states, but the values of welcoming, opening, and sharing a vulnerable heart with strangers who become friends is something I will never forget.