Beyond Marrs

October 5, 2025

Mardi Himal, Nepal—

As the bright rays of sunlight fill the robin’s egg sky, we watch in wonder as the world’s largest peaks are cast in robes of pink and gold. I think back on our trip so far. We have hiked through the forest, draped with vibrant green moss, and across small murmuring streams. After a few days, we made it past the tree line, and to High Camp. There, we relaxed, watched yaks lumber by, and practiced writing Devinagari script, or the Nepali and Hindi script, with our guide, Yashoda. I love interacting with the workers in the teahouses, because they are so friendly. Here, one of the workers played the madal*, while Yashoda sang and I danced. And the day before, I got to help in the kitchen and made achar* and saag*.

This morning, we woke up at 4:00 AM to walk up to the viewpoint. We groggily packed a light bag, and then put on coats and hats. Even though Nepal is hot, we are in the tallest mountains in the world, so it is chilly. We head out of the door and meet Yashoda. I switch on my light, and we start walking. We walk silently in the dark, weaving between yaks and watching distant bolts of lightning, until the first golden threads of sun pierce the sky. 

Gradually, the sky turns from deep blue to a light, icy color that matches what else has been illuminated. The Himalayas. These towering giants seem as if they are scraping the sky itself. We sit with a hot and steaming cup of chiya*, and watch as the orange and pink sun creeps across these summits, making the hundreds of glaciers and frozen waterfalls shimmer and gleam. We count the peaks—Annapurna South topped with ice and snow, Hiun Chuli touching Annapurna South, Gangapurna, Ten Peaks, and last but definitely not least, Machhapuchhre, the Fishtail Mountain. As we marveled at the glory of these giants, I thought about home. 

Even halfway across the world, you can still find things—whether small or gigantic, like this—that remind you of where you live. I was thinking about this as we hiked down the trail the next day, noticing nettles and ferns, and moss that hung on tree branches in the exact same fashion as home. I even thought about this as we drove through the rocky and rutted gravel roads that splashed through glacial streams on our way back to Pokhara. Nepal has become a home to me, but it is still comforting to find pieces of home scattered about this faraway country.

*A madal is a Nepali drum. 

*Achar is a Nepali chutney, traditionally made with a mortar and pestle.

*Saag means greens in the Nepali language, but in this context means greens fried in oil with spices.

*Chiya is a Nepali tea made with black tea, milk, sugar, and spices, and it is made in a pan.