Saturday 3 October – Kathmandu, Nepal
After close to six years, here I am again. The journey this time is unlike any of the other eight times I made the long and ardous trip. This time I brought with me my two young children to meet their Nepali family. Happily I can report Shreeya (4 years old) and Sammy (2 ½ years old) are really great travelers.
Sammy and Shreeya on the bus from the airport to the hotel
It really hit me as we left the Kathmandu airport and began making our way though the chaos of the city, that familiar cacophony of sounds and smells that I both love and hate. A deep and profound sense of serenity came over me like a wave. A quietness that took over. I turned to my mother and said, “here we are, home again,” and I worked to hold by tears. I have been working out this moment in my head for months and now it is here, the reunion with my Unatti girls.
The bus made its way over the bridge were family tent homes share the riverbanks with pigs and cows and buffalo carcasses, children picking trash and endless piles of garbage.
We turn into the gate, onto the gravel drive and my heart is racing. I remember peering out the bus door toward the garden and there they were, fourteen girls with wide smiles and little-girl-giggles running to me. I got my arms around Sangita and Shrijana and the other twelve joined the hug, holding each other as tears start to run down my face. Lots of tears. These are my girls.
In the sea of girls I found Shreeya, surrounded by her Nepali sisters. They were touching her light curly hair saying ramro Shreeya, ramro!, which means beautiful. I could see she was overwhelmed by the attention but loving it. We were all given Tika and flower garlands and started to get reacquainted.
Later in our room Shreeya put herself on the bed, looked up to the ceiling and said, “Mommy, they all love me so much, so much love I don’t know what to do, so much love.” Yes I said, “they do love you so much, they are your sisters.”
So the journey continues. . . . .
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