Wild Wild West

I recently had the chance to channel my inner cowgirl and head out to the wild West of Nepal. Going out into the field for a week was a wonderful combination of amazing views and a whirlwind of experiences. These are some of my stories:

A woman and her baby barged into my room asking if I was God and could give her salvation. Not sure about that one. Was told it was common practice to tinkle off of your staircase after 11pm. Went on two planes, two 10 hour car trips up windy mountain roads, and two 6 hour hikes, the first of which was done in flip flops and the second which included a horse named Moti (Pearl). Was charged by a cow and was told I am the only vegetarian foreigner in the whole world. Speaking of which, was also the first foreigner seen by most local residents. This resulted in thousands of snickers, dozens of namastes, and three crying babies. I had the pleasure of hanging out with 6 middle-aged Nepali men whose idea of a perfect vacation was, "staying at home, having friends over, gambling, smoking, drinking beers, and having our wives and daughters serve us." Additionally, over the span of six days, ate 18 meals of dahl bhaat (rice with lentils) and was lucky if I saw one toilet every 24 hours (a squat one mind you!), one of which was not even a toilet but a 'women's area' located in a field of thorn bushes where I was told I was welcome to have "a short or long sit".

Despite this whirlwind of hilariously questionable activities, I did have the chance to meet some wonderful people who have really made the best of very difficult lives. The average life expectancy for women in this region is 35, as they are the ones who perform manual labor, take care of the house and the children, and are the ones solely responsible for the entire family's well being. Meeting some of these women, many of whom were infected or affected by HIV as a result of their husbands, with smiles on their faces, a positive outlook, and living well past 35 was a truly humbling experience. This was the first time I saw that many families live without even basic foods such as fruits and vegetables, eating only rice and ramen noodles. This trip, I admit, was truly an eye opening experience.

Yet, for these Western residents, having family members and friends love you no matter what outweighs any and all hardships endured. Duly noted. Thank you wild wild West.