Even on the plains of Chitwan, you can still see the grandeur of the Himalayas on the horizon.

I came down from the Himalayas, traveled through the Kathmandu Valley, and now I find myself in the expansive plains of Chitwan. This area used to be all jungle, but now the forest and wildlife are preserved within the borders of Chitwan National Park. The area surrounding the park is fertile farmland where people can grow crops all year round. This place reminds me of the Midwest with its patchwork fields, dirt roads, and big open sky. It feels like home. And it will be my home for the next month or two.

The family I’m staying with has been nothing but kind. Even before we met, Tara, my host father, was so much help when I traveled to his community of Bhagouli. As a matter of fact, I encountered many people that made my journey possible that day. The couple sitting in front of me on the first bus who told me where to get off. The man on the street who walked me to the next bus station. The bus driver who handed me his phone and Tara who was on the other end of the line to assure me I’d arrived at the correct bus. The woman on the second bus who I talked to in broken Nepali. The young lady who showed me my final stop. Then when I finally was dropped off at the end of a dirt road, there was Tara waiting to take me home.

When I arrived to the Adhikari Family home, I was met by Tara’s wife, Anjana and their two kids, Ananta (8) and Akriti (13). Anjana served me what would be the first of many hot cups of black masala tea and chiurah (beaten rice). Tara showed me to my room and told me to take my time and get settled in.

The first of many cups of black masala tea at with the Adhikari Family

This experience of the journey and arrival to a host family has been repeated time and time again during my past three months in Nepal. The village and the family may be new, but the kindness I’ve been shown by strangers is not. Locals have walked me to my destinations, offered me tea in their shops, and welcomed me into their homes. With these people I’ve shared meals, attended weddings, and celebrated holidays. They’ve given me a home and a family when mine were half a world away.