If you are a wanderer who has stumbled upon this small but majestic nation that I call home, I write this to you. I have a smile on my face and my hands are put together as I greet you “Namaste”. I thank you for choosing to travel to this very glorious nation, which has much to offer.

With Visit Nepal Year around the corner, this initiative is a momentous campaign to draw you travelers to this beautiful nation. Being born and having lived in Nepal for most of my life, exploring, encountering and experiencing the culture, cuisine, tradition and thrills of this nation, I can say this, “ Your hunger for something new shall be fulfilled, your search for adrenaline shall be quenched with a side of great hospitality, diverse cuisine, majestic landscape, and beautiful people.” The campaign of Visit Nepal Year has been anxiously awaited by the people of Nepal. As we await, to share with you all our love, culture, tradition and festivals. We await to welcome you to our homes, share our delightful cuisine, and make merry with you in our festivities.

Being a student of sociology, a fanatic of history, photography and having travelled to various parts of Nepal for my studies. I feel as if I can’t sum up the beauty of this nation in one article, as our diversity and ethnicity is home to treasures that one can explore for their entire life. During my studies, I have stumbled upon may great writers and artists, who choose to do their study in Nepal and the magic of the Himalayas, the love of the people make them choose Nepal as their new abode. It always bewildered me, meeting such individuals and I always asked, “Why?”

To which I was once told, “Nepal is a heaven, not just because of the lush landscape but because of the people. In the greatest of adversities, the people of Nepal choose to smile. They share with you their home, their food and all, and before you know it you are a part of the family.”

There is so much to explore in Nepal, some things that aren’t listed in that travel book you are holding. Everyone sees the temples, the monuments, the lakes but true intangible experiences are going to be an amalgam of sharing moments with the people. Thus, I strongly suggest learning a few words and phrases, as you are going to be replied with a beautiful smile.

To you my dear wanderers I welcome you to the land dubbed the abode of the Gods, where once in mystic lures the Gods once roamed with the people. I welcome you to the land of great cultural diversity, majestic Himalayas, where the magic of the ancient world still resonates in every corner.

I welcome you to Nepal. May your travelers be blessed, your search full filled, your diary and mind filled with memories of great adventures and experiences and your camera’s filled with moments that you shall fathom for the rest of your lives.

An op-ed of living in Nepal by Shreyashka Vikram Raj Maharjan