Home

I'm home with Mom and Dad in California, in my lime green room that hasn't been changed since high school. I had this idea that when I returned to the U.S. I would feel this sense of "home", this excitement of returning after a long day at the factory and feel at ease once I settled in. I thought maybe it would be nice to not always have to be on my game, ready to speak another language, navigate a city, or make friends with new people to get around...

WRONG. Being home is a shift, it's a change that I'm now (I suppose) accustomed to. Yet it hasn't been an easy transition. I had the days of jet lag- falling asleep at 2 in the afternoon because I just couldn't keep my eyes open- and the days of panicing at the mall as the mass amounts of consumerism and consumption was too much for me to handle. I had the newborn-feeling days when I was oh-so happy to go on a run, eat a crunchy salad, take a bite of a juicy fruit, and breathe the air. Those days aren't over.

First food on American Soil (San Francisco International Airport)

Then, I was forced back into reality- I got an internship, took a quick vacation with my loved ones, and got back to the grind- and I've been busy ever since.

Auntie, Mom, Me (San Jose, CA)

Lunch (EAT Club, Palo Alto, CA)

It occurred to me the other day as I spoke with Chris, that I really enjoyed writing my blog. Sitting down and getting my thoughts out, putting pen to paper (er... finger to keyboard), is just such a natural way for me to be able to express my thoughts and my fascination with this place, this world, we call home. So here I am, writing a blog post, in San Jose, California. Sadly, for now I won't have any more stories or pictures from Nepal, the beautiful and wonderful place I called home for 4 months.

Last Day of Rafting (Trisuli River, Nepal)

I realize, though, that those days of travel and exploration are not over. I shouldn't stop writing my blog just because I'm not half-way around the world- I still meet new people every day and see amazing things that I would love to share. I owe it to my Nepali pariwaar (family), I owe it to others who somehow find an interest in the places I go and the photos I take as I learn people's stories, and I owe it to myself to continue to write. Because that's what's interests me and that's what's been on my mind. I want to find ways to travel, to take photos and to make memories.

***

Dad and I went on a mountain bike ride the other day near Santa Teresa and it was the first time I'd been out exercising with someone else since I'd been back. Yup- it confirmed I'm not in shape. It was WORK. Then again, I went with Dad. He tends to be like a little kid on steroids when he's doing anything exercise-related so I set myself up for that one! However, the ride was great and we had a fun time. 

Hiking (San Luis Obispo, CA)

Mountain Biking (Almaden, CA)

Hiking with Mom (Los Gatos, CA)

What I found myself struck by was how much beauty there is around us. I think we sometimes forget in the bustle of the Silicon Valley to take a minute and appreciate what's around us. We're so focused on our busy schedules, on what we're doing tomorrow, that we forget about today. 

I cranked my pedals around and around and felt the burn as my muscles dusted off cobwebs, felt the sun on my arms and legs warming my skin, and felt the cool bay breeze blow the hairs around my face out from under my helmet. I watched as the dirt trail curved before me, around the golden hill into this wide-open pasture with wild turkeys running and a fawn following its mother. I looked out into the Valley and saw how beautiful all the little houses look among the rolling hills topped with dark fluffy trees. 

As we made our way downhill, I felt a rush of adrenaline as the tires maneuvered around little rocks in the trail and absorbed the roughness below me. I watched my shadow next to me, gliding through the hills and following the trail carved out for me. That peacefulness is something that I constantly felt when I was in Nepal. That ease among the bustle. I miss it. Yet, that feeling of happiness and excitement is something that isn't lost- but it's something I have to remind myself to seek out. It was so natural in Nepal, and it definitely can be here too. 

Ocean (Santa Cruz, CA)

Streets of SF (North Beach, SF)

The Getty Villa (Pacific Palisades, CA)

Our home is really so picturesque. I've been so fortunate to be able to travel half-way around the world and see amazing places that are so unique. But coming home I realized that there is this same beauty around us every day. It just takes a minute to stop and appreciate what we have. In the month I've been home I've traveled up and down the state: San Francisco, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Los Angeles and it's made me realize how beautiful my home really is. There's so much diversity, yet you can always count on the ocean breeze, the warm sun, and tree-lined hills. It's such a wonderful place and I want to explore more of it.

Make every day an adventure. You just have to find something interesting, meet someone new, or challenge yourself in some way. I'm convinced monotony is preventable and my prescription is a positive attitude and an open mind. At least that's what I'm doing. 

Love to Prabin, Pragya, Ama, and Baa. Tapaaiharuko yaad aauchha.

Anthony

Little Hermit Crab 

Trisha Tide Pooling

Trisha and Me (Avila Beach, CA)

Monkey Bread (home)

Best Bagel Sandwich

Of course, I end a post with food. But it's just so good. ;)