Welcome to our story, which began during the 2002 Festival of Lights in Kaskikot, Nepal. Or in any case, that’s when this blog starts.
You can read about how I first got to Nepal here. But the short version is that there wasn’t much of a reason I went, or a plan for what I’d do, and even though I still spend a few months a year in my home village of Kaskikot and run a nonprofit, at the end of the day I would be lying if I said this blog was about social work. You can read about that on the organization website. This story pretty much starts out because I wanted go live in a village in Nepal and get to know people. That’s it. That’s the whole story.
I’d just turned 22 when I first went to Kaskikot, and I ended up living with a widow and her two daughters, Didi and Bishnu. It was through their eyes, in an all women’s household, that I entered a rural society dominated by men but nourished by women. This extraordinary situation offered infinite opportunities for the unimaginable, because we were all kind of different. Their family already didn’t fit the rules.
I’ve kept handwritten journals in Nepal for over a decade, and a lot of what you’ll read here comes from those. Some entries are carried over from an email list that started with a note to my parents and a few old friends over a dial up connection in Pokhara, and then grew to nearly 200 people, due in part to nice old ladies on New York City Transit buses asking about the origins of my winter hat, and in part to the wonder that in the 21st century a letter can be replicated and sent to others and others and again others until one letter has 200 duplicates of itself in 200 places, while its author is innocently off pounding wheat with a wooden mallet in a village in Nepal.
Sections of this blog are also remastered from my thesis in creative nonfiction writing. And then some of it I just thought about while I was sitting here right now. And some of the entries are reflections or anecdotes I collected from people who have been part of my life in Nepal. You’ll figure it out. I’ve listed everyone below for reference.
Thanks for keeping us company.
With gratitude,
Laura, Aamaa, Didi, Bishnu, Prem, Aidan, Pascal, Govinda, and of course, all the animals.
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WHO’S WHO
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- AAMAA, Mom.
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- DIDI, means “older sister,” and Bishnu’s big sister’s name is Malika. But to us she is Didi, the one and only.
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- BISHNU, Aamaa’s younger daughter, two years my junior. She came to the US for college in 2009.
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- PREM is Didi’s husband. We call him “bhinaju,” or “brother in law.”
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- PASCAL & AIDAN, Didi and Prem’s sons.
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- GOVINDA, originally the English teacher at Sada Shiva, my dear friend in all pursuits.
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- LAURA
All The Pieces 
Hi
Thank you so much for finding my blog and liking a post. Hope you come back again soon
Trina
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Interesting piece on life in Nepal. My cousin Joe is a nurse and taught critical care nursing in Nepal for many years. He went there, lived and taught in hospitals and remote areas of Nepal to help the people with health care. It is a fascinating country. You are brave to do that too. Peace.
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Laura, I am very glad that you found my blog so that I, in turn have found yours. I look to exploring yours, I am very interested in what i have read here on this page so far. On our last trek to Nepal, Basanta, our porter /guide sometimes called me Didi. Louise
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Hi Louise, great to connect with you! Nepal is definitely a place that brings the people who love it together. Look forward to more reading!
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Thanks for the follow. Hope you like what you read and will add a comment or two.
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how wonderful and interesting. i look forward to reading your posts. best, beth
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thank you Beth!
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What a wonderful blog! My very best wishes to all of you!
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Thank you so much for reading!
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Hey Laura, I am so glad I came across your blog. I have been to Nepal for our first Christmas back in 2014. My husband organized it as a surprise as I wanted to be as close as I can to the Himalayans. I look forward to exploring your blog. We cannot wait to return to Nepal. It is such a beautiful place with such lovely people.
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Welcome, thanks for the nice post and I couldn’t agree more! Nepal is definitely my second home (was probably my first home in a past life 😉). When you were there did you visit the Annapurna region? Look forward to hearing your thoughts!!
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I connected with Nepal so so much. sadly personal circumstances did not allow us to return back. it is expensive to travel out of Sri Lanka to almost any destination. We didn’t get to go to Annapurana region. we were at Kathmandu and went The Last Resort. I loved the drive. When things get better we look forward to visiting Nepal again, especially Annapurna region. I heard its gorgeous.
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