After dusty, chaotic, noisy India, we made our way to Nepal. The contrast in countries was noticeable immediately. The streets were wider, quieter, and cleaner. The houses were built differently, and the residents residing in them were friendlier.
Currently, I am sitting in the shade at my home stay in Chitwan National Park. Local mates are playing cricket in the small courtyard. Baby goats are prancing along the grounds, while their mothers graze on fresh picked vegetation. Women are doing laundry in tin buckets, and the sun is shining bright overhead.
I can hear the deep “mooooooo” from the cow just beyond my temporary home: a small, one bedroom building with a tin roof and mosquito nets covering the bed. A group of local women preformed traditional Napalese dances for us last night, and this afternoon we set out on a jeep safari. I can’t believe a place like this exists.
A fleeting thought crossed my mind: what if I just dumped every piece of technology I own into the river beyond the village? I could stay here forever, drinking tea and never shaving my legs. Sure, my family would miss me, but I would have the chickens and the cows to keep me company. The timing of our arrival to meet the Barauli Community was perfect. I had never felt more at peace.
Of course I eventually came to my senses once I remembered how good wine tastes in California, that I couldn’t go without seeing my cats again, that my family is actually the best, that my best friend is marrying the love of her life in a few months, and I have a BTS concert to attend. But alas.
If you ever get the chance to visit this area of the world, I absolutely recommend you do so. It’s only my third day in the country, but already I’m completely smitten by the people and the culture. Leaving anytime soon would be doing a disservice to this magical place. My plane ticket is saying Taiwan, my heart is saying, “Namaste” in Nepal.