I was a young teen girl who left home and family for the first time to the capital city. Kathmandu was totally different from what I had imagined and there were a lot of surprises.

I had never been anywhere else alone unless going to school and market counts. I had completed my school and being a nerd, I was really looking forward to further studies. As my parents always wanted to provide me good education, Kathmandu was the best place to continue my study. For a young teen to leave home and family for an unprecedented amount of time was exciting and adventurous. Belonging to a very conservative and protective family, I was ecstatically looking forward to all the freedom and opportunity that was on my way.

Given that Jhapa is 4th largest district of Nepal, I would not say city area was completely new for me, but modernization has really not engulfedit. So, Kathmandu felt totally different for me. When the plane was about to land, I could see all the houses like matchstick boxes and the number of houses were probably triple than in Jhapa. My brother was already there to receive me at the airport and then we got into taxi. People were everywhere, nobody really talked with anyone, they were on their own little world and probably the same person never really crosses by you every day. The population and the pollution definitely was more than that mentioned in the school books. I was told that our flat where my brother and I were going to live was only 15 minutes away from the airport. But, due heavy traffic, it took us probably an hour. When we got off the taxi, what impressed me was that nobody even looked at us. In my hometown, everybody knows each other even if you are staying for a few days, and people are nosy and interested in others' lives. Therefore, not getting eyed at every move, I felt comfortable to be myself.

          We had to buy drinking water! There were no hand pumps! And people had not so good impression of Jhapali. My first interaction with the homeowner was a little weird as he was a local and I could not understand half of what he said. Jhapa, even though people of all castes live together, there is not much difference in the accent. However, Kathmandu being the central place for people of all the districts in Nepal, the homeowner had married to a lady from Baglung district. So, she had a very different accent as well as many words were totally new for me.

Overall, the first experience was unique and interesting. I think Kathmandu is a place where life is always hectic and people are always in a rush. The ambition and goals are always prioritized rather than the emotions of people. And after a tiring time, I would always and forever prefer Jhapa to just go relax and revive. However, I find each of the places very much like home as we need competition in life and peace as well. The touch of modern thoughts is engulfing Kathmandu more and people are broad minded in most cases whereas. Jhapalis in their thought process have a long way to go.

Box text: We had to buy drinking water! There were no hand pumps! And people did not have a good impression of Jhapali. The population and the pollution of Kathmandu was definitely way too much than mentioned in the school book. People were everywhere, nobody really talked with anyone, they were in their own little world and probably the same person never really crosses by you every day.