Transition from Nepal Sadiksha Subedi

Most ten year-olds have a themed birthday party, Minecraft, Disney princesses,shows, you name it. However, I had spent my birthday 18 hours on a plane, emotionally tense and sleep deprived.

Growing up, I wasn’t exposed to diverse groups of cultures and traditions likeI have been for the past seven years here in the US. I didn’t have the privilege of experiencing the cultural differences that the city of Lancaster alone provides and understanding them on a deeper level. Before, I only knew of one culture, one language, one lifestyle and that was Nepali. I was ten years old when I moved to the US. Now, the kids my age have a wider understanding of politics and pop culture, as well as current events around the world; whereas, when I was their age, I felt as if I’d been in the shadows regarding those topics. I only knew basic conversational English such as “Hi! How are you?” and “I’m fine. How are you?”. I didn’t understand giving high fives and hugs; everything was strange to me. Even now, the weather, the people, and the language are all still strange and will continue to be because none of it is what I was used to back in Nepal.

Still now, I find myself comparing America’s norms and traditions to what I knew in Nepal almost...