If my soul could speak for itself, I think it would have every reason to wonder if it was adopted from Nepal. I’ve never been in a country where I’ve felt so at home. The people are friendly – always bundled in their knitted sweaters and wool scarves – and everybody wears their hiking boots like they might just spontaneously decide to escape the city and leave on a trek in the middle of wandering through town.
There’s a coffee shop down the street with ice cream shakes and my new favorite drink – honey hot lemon – and there’s a man with a nearby spice shop who insists the combination of hot water, lemon and his special honey is a miracle solution for burning fat. What more could we possibly ask for?
When we flew into Kathmandu our plane entered another realm of snow-capped mountains and beautiful hills. We descended into a valley and now on clear days when we are doing ministry around the city, we can sometimes see the mountains towering over us like a protective older brother.
The very first night in Kathmandu, we went up to the roof, wrapped in all the warm clothes we dug out of our packs, and looked up. The stars were magical, brilliantly showing off and winking in the night sky. There’s an obscene amount of pollution and dust in the air during the day, but the Nepali night sky sure knows how to put on a show that would compete with the summer skies of northern Minnesota.
Our home is a guesthouse smack dab in the middle of backpacker alley, and even though everything around me has been created for tourists, it doesn’t make me love it any less. At first our street reminded me of where we lived in Vietnam, both busy and constantly bustling with traffic and tourists, but then I noticed a difference I can only describe in this way: If Ho Chi Minh was a bar, it would have bright flashing lights, hard liquor, sequins and music turned up just a little too loud. If Nepal was a bar, there would be live music, skinny jeans and flannel, a nice cold beer and probably a pool table. So whatever floats your boat, but you’ll know where to find me.
And if I’m not there, It’s probably because I was taking a beautifully epic flight around Mt. Everest, thanks to the most wonderful parents in the world.
