Travelling and being in a place that is very different from home can make me nervous. That nervousness is part of the excitment of travel but I have my worries, too. I worry about the things that I might not understand, and I worry about doing something that might make people here unhappy.
So, the way I help myself to stop worrying is to get curious! I look at all kinds of maps and pictures. I learn about the people who live there, including the foods they eat, the music they like, and the animals that are are there...all the stuff I normally like! Usually, the more I know about a place, the better I feel about traveling and trying new things.
Our first stop was Kathmandu. We stayed in a hotel that was built in the traditional Newari style, which you can recognize from the low doorways. After Kathmandu, we traveled down to Sauraha, and then up to Gokha. After that we went to Pokhara, then up to our highest research location at Ghandruk.
At each place, we stayed at a small hotel. This means that we got to know all the staff, leading to good friendships! Then, at the end of the trip we stayed with a a family in Kathmandu.
Getting to know people from all over Nepal gave me and our group a chance to understand how we are both different and similar to other people.
