Before coming to Nepal, I expected to quickly feel at home in Nepal the same way I felt at home in Uzbekistan. Though the countries and people are completely different, there are similarities between Uzbekistan and Nepal like their cultures of hospitality, familial bonds and even bargaining at shops.
Nevertheless, adjusting to life in Nepal wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. At times, I felt lonely and isolated. I'd feel homesick for my friends and family. I used to think homesickness was something I'd get over in the beginning and never encounter once I adjusted to the environment, but it's actually something that comes and goes. Getting the flu or seeing a mom with her child as I walked through Kathmandu would make me deeply miss home. I'd call my mom or my friends afterwards and shed a few tears to feel better.
The hardest thing to get used to, however, was how go-with-the-flow you have to be in Nepal. I'm so used to expecting lots of structure in academics, like tight schedules and strict meeting times. My research project was the complete opposite of this.
I planned to go to Tal and speak with farmers, but I didn't have any contacts in Tal. I went anyway and luckily spoke with a professor in Manang, the district Tal is in, who connected me with a teacher there.
