Happy, Rainy Monsoon Months
In the last few months, it feels like we’ve had more rain than is usual for springtime. Perhaps that’s why, when monsoon seemed to be just a bit delayed, I didn’t think much of it. But as the days wore on and the mercury shot up, I found myself longing for the blessed relief of the rains. Each day I’d look for some tell-tale signs in the sky—dark clouds, that windy feeling—but each time, the grey just blew away somewahere far, leaving the earth still dry. When the sky finally opened up, what a relief! I went outside and let the rain fall on my skin and felt the joyful release—and not just my own, but that of the entire landscape around me, each leaf and blade of grass reaching up to receive every drop of the precious rain.
It hasn’t always been this way. During the first few monsoon seasons that I spent in Nepal, I often got frustrated by the muddiness and dampness. I tried, in vain, to keep to my plans and schedules. It was only when I stopped running around trying to accomplish things at the same pace that I had before, and surrendered to the rhythm of the monsoon—more waiting, less hurrying—that I began to enjoy it. Now I can’t wait for the waves of rain and the a outbursts of green that pop up everywhere in response to it. Nature seems just as happy for the rain as we are, you can see it everywhere around us.
This issue celebrates these rainy months, and the things that come along with it, like rice planting, fresh juicy summer fruits, and the joys of reading and eating and drinking good things while it’s wet outdoors. We also cover several exciting events—one for media and writers visiting Nepal, and the other a biker event enjoyed by the country’s biker community. We travel and explore and learn about new places to visit, and new things being made in the country. We also take the time to remember some of those who were lost to us too soon and shouldn’t be—won’t be—forgotten.
Evangeline Neve
Associate Editor
