Safely in Nepal, out of the comfort zone again

Interesting how easy it is to get comfortable in a place where they speak your language, look like you and obey the simplest of traffic rules – and South Africa was that place for me. We had an absolutely wonderful time in SA, Jo’burg, Soweto, Kruger, Cape Town, but the one thing that sticks out in my mind is the wine lands. Whichever region we visited, the people were extremely friendly, welcoming us into their homes (ok, they were guest houses and that was their job) and taking a vested interest in what we were doing. A number of the couples that ran the guest houses we stayed in were almost like “away from home” parents – doting over us when we had laundry to do, suggesting (but never pushing) places to visit and eat and helping us to organize activities. At the last place we stayed in Durbanville Hills, the owner, unbenounced to us, called Durbanville Hills Winery and arranged a private tour (and free tasting) for us with a contact she had out there. At another winery, we met the head wine master and chatted with him for an hour or so AFTER his wine workshop was over. He even recommended a contact that we should look up in New Zealand when we’re there. While I don’t expect this type of attitude everywhere we go, it was so nice for me to meet fellow wine enthusiasts who were helpful to us because they knew we loved wine, not because they wanted our money.
It’s this exact type of situation that makes it hard for me to return to a country where the focus is definitely back on us, not because of our general interest in Nepal, but because of our money. However, if I’ve learned anything in the past 3 and a half months of traveling, it’s that functioning outside of our comfort zone is a must for personal growth. For instance, worrying about meeting our basic needs on a day to day basis is not something that we do often in the States (or Europe or SA for that matter), and when you come out of an environment where you’ve been stretched, you’re so much more grateful for your current situation and have a more keen eye for helping those around you.

~S