For most of my life, I had never stepped foot outside of the US. Asia seemed like a lofty dream, something that I'd brag I would always do “someday”.
That was, until my boss surprised me.
Hey, would you be willing to stay in Nepal for a month?
I understood why. For context, most of the team I work with lives there. And, it was crunch time. Having helped my boss get a second round of funding, it was now time to deliver. Deadlines were upon us.
Yes! I'm there.
Days the before the trip, I got cold feet. There was a lot riding on this trip. Most of the work that I had done up until this point had been essentially separate from the rest of the team. Beyond that, Nepal was really, really far away. I’d be leaving everything behind.
Three days later, I was boarding.
In the Air
As I squeezed into my first seat, shoved in the back of the airplane (startup life), I was overcome with anticipation. It wasn't the first time, but now I was actually staying.
Six months ago, I had stayed for a week with the team. It was very exciting, but the 12 hour difference made it hard to absorb what was happening. I was back before it had even started.
But this time, I was there for an entire month! I replayed the goodbyes from my family and friends in my head, excited for what was to come.
After what seemed like forever, I finally landed. With 3 different connections, everything was a blur. My concept of time, sleep, sense of self; everything goes out the window. I was grateful for the opportunity, but listening to the same songs over and over again for 26 hours will make anyone go crazy.
A zombie, I limped off the plane, unconscious and ravenous.
KTM
Luckily, one of my coworkers was waiting for me. We slid into a taxi, and she guided me through a quick checklist:
- Currency Exchance
- Food
- Apartment Check-in
I was thankful to have someone helping me.
After all three tasks, I collapsed on my bed. Finally, I could rest easy, and close my eyes.
Cockroaches
To be continued