Back in Nepal, life was too easy — I never even stepped inside the kitchen unless it was to grab a plate of hot food mom had already made. Cooking? Cleaning? Worrying about groceries? It never even crossed my mind.

Fast forward to now — living alone in the USA — I'm the guy standing in the kitchen Googling “how to boil rice” and burning my first attempt at making dal. Washing my own clothes, figuring out bills, working late nights, and eating whatever I can put together... this wasn’t part of the dream we imagined when we talked about “going abroad.”

I miss the carefree days. Riding my scooter around Kathmandu with friends, no real stress except what to eat for lunch. Now, calling those same friends once a week feels like a luxury. Schedules, time zones, responsibilities — they’ve all changed us.