Curious People
Sitting across from an elder of the indigenous Karen tribe in Thailand, I intently listened as she showed me how to make khao tom mad, a traditional dish of rice wrapped in a banana leaf. I went to Thailand intending to learn the biology of tropical systems, yet here I was, breaking bread alongside an unexpected friend. Despite language barriers, we shared our stories and traditions with mutual curiosity. This connection transcended borders, and within these moments, we didn’t have to share culture; we found understanding through humanity. My fondest memories have been when I unexpectedly found common ground with people incredibly different from me; such as meeting a group of students from Mexico and sharing tongue twisters in our first languages, or joking with fellow volunteers in Costa Rica about each other’s country stereotypes. These experiences sparked a curiosity in me; I want to understand the influence of cultures on our understanding of the world. This led me to book a flight by myself to one of the most diverse countries in the world.
Upon landing in Nepal, I was in awe of the streets filled with color and temples. Before I knew it, I was hiking up the steep mountains to reach the Buddhist monastery I would be spending a few days visiting. I told my guide that the mountain view was breathtaking through my panting, and he gently laughed at my innocent mistake. We were hiking up Nepal’s small hills, not mountains. My guide was born in a village close to Everest; of course, he found it entertaining that I thought the lush green path we were walking was anything close to the barren rocks of the tallest peaks. His eyes twinkled as he proudly said,
“I was born in a cloud.”
While a seemingly innocent statement, I was immediately captivated. I was from one of the flattest regions of the United States, somewhere most people would consider barren. Despite being from opposite sides of the world and regions that could not be more different, we hiked alongside each other, telling stories and laughing over unexpected plot twists. We stopped at a village where a family welcomed us for tea. I explained to the bubbly daughter, who was no taller than my waist, that I was from a place where there were no monkeys, temples, waterfalls, or mountains. She stared at me in shock. She immediately began her questioning of what my home was like. The people of Nepal were the kindest and most genuine. Despite all of our differences, we found the purest form of connection. This made me wonder. If I were born in a different country, what parts of me would be different, and what would stay the same?
My solo trip in Nepal was full of shining moments. From staying in a Buddhist monastery and reading fascinating texts from their library, to being welcomed by my host family who taught me how to make momo and chiya, I learned how big the world is. While I shared many differences with every person I met, we always found common ground through stories and humanity. In these moments, we connected and saw each other as who we truly were, curious people.
