Nepal is a country filled with magic. Crazy spontaneous travels, cosy mornings on the balcony with Himalayan views and endless cups of tea with loud laughter while visiting family. In 2010 I did my journalism internship in Kathmandu, where I stayed with a beautiful family I soon called my own. All of a sudden I had a Nepali mother, father, big brother and sister. And a sweet Australian sister. Family on the other side of the world. It was like a dream come true.
Walking through 'my' street in Kathmandu again felt like coming home. Visiting family is something I enjoy so much, just ringing their bell and catching up over a chai. How great it was to see my Nepali family! Filled my soul with happiness. Old friends yelled out "baap re baap!" when they saw me, which means "oh my god" in Hindi. I used to say this phrase a lot, it made me laugh every time again. So people started calling me Baaph re baaph. Four years later I still have my Hindi name, my family is still my family and Nepal feels like home. Always will.