Let's face it, if you come from a small family, like me, the holiday season can feel quite isolating in the United States. After I passed the age of about ten, Christmas lost it's magic. I became desensitized by the holiday. Christmas was just another day on the calendar.
Throughout my high school years, I yearned to experience just one Christmas with a big family, full of warmth, vitality and tradition. Christmas with three people just felt so lonely. Yet, with the distance of going away to college, I began to see the beauty in celebrating Christmas with my parents. After some years, the holidays became a time of reflection and creativity, trying to define what coming and being "home" really means.
And here I am celebrating Christmas in Nepal with three wonderful Fulbright ETAs and one Fulbright Clinton Scholar. I may not be in the United States, and this Christmas is a bit untraditional, but for the first time, I'm celebrating the holidays with the big family I missed having as a child. From hot showers, to delicious food, wandering up a hill following a woman collecting sticks, to watching the sun rise over the himalaya at dawn, this has been an incredible Christmas that I will never forget.
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| We live in a beautiful world! The lake on Christmas morning. |
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| Although I have not seen any real shih-tzus in Nepal, this cute fuzzy friend was a gift to stare at for a few minutes. |
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| Bridges bring the world together. |
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While wandering through the woods trying to reach the peace stupa at the top of the hill, we met a wonderful woman collecting firewood. She gave us directions that caused us to walk for about two hours on uncharted paths.
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| We made it through the wilderness! What a beautiful stupa. |
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| We are family! |
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| Nameste! |
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| A Nepali family asked to take a photo with us! We made so many new friends! |
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| Nature knows it's Christmas! |
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| Chocolate with a beautiful view = HEAVEN! |
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| The sunrise over the mountains |
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| Nepali milk tea, a beautiful view, and great company |
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| Yummmmmm!!!! |
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| This is the definition of a "good" morning. |
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| Wee!! |
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| Yay! |
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| One...two |
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| three! |
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| Jump! |
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| On top of the world, jumping for joy! |
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