NEPAL

After graduating college, I never would have thought about going to Nepal. But a couple of days after graduation, I received an email from a professor informing me of a photojournalism internship program in Kathmandu. The prospect of trying something new and going somewhere so different from my home community excited me. I applied to Internship Nepal and packed my bags, ready for an adventure. 

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I stayed in a homestay with the local family who ran the program. My host mother would greet me every morning with a kiss on the cheek and a cup of tea. My housemates were international medical students and other photographers looking for experience. I made lasting friendships and gained a family away from home. 

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Our photojournalism mentor would take us out to weddings, festivals, and tourists sites to practice our skill. We were each tasked to do a project on a topic of our choosing. For mine, I spoke to Ganga Maya Adhikari, a human rights activist, who at the time had been on a hunger strike for two years. I spoke to her from her hospital bed about the murder of her son at the hands of political rebels and subsequent death of her husband, who died during his hunger strike. My work in Nepal made me realize how privileged my upbringing was, and how I had greatly taken it for granted.

My time in Nepal may be my favorite international experience. It forced me to come out of my shelland provided me with new understandings and outlooks on life. I miss having dinners with my family, playing with their dog, and the sunsets over Boudhanath Stupa.