I am the perfect example of someone who will never return to Nepal, but I will.

By Surabhi Raj Bhandari

I left home at 16. By the time I graduate in 2014, I will have lived in America for six years. It would seem only natural for me to work and live in the US after that. Yet, somehow, the idea of living away from Nepal never appealed to me.

There are entire institutions at my college dedicated to helping international students in networking, internships, resume building, mock interviews and job searches. They offer brochures of life in LA, San Francisco, Miami, DC, New York and I have often pictured myself as a working woman on Wall Street after graduation. Maybe a year or two at Morgan Stanley then on to a private equity firm, a future CEO who will one day live in a penthouse in Manhattan: The American Dream. It's a dream that I've been told should be mine, and many people around me have assumed it should be theirs too. It's tempting, but it is not my dream. My ideal future is one closer to home, closer to my reality. Let's call it the 'Nepali Dream'.

Keeping in touch with what is happening in Nepal while in the US fuels my Nepali Dream. My daily dosage of nepalnews.com punctuates never-ending papers and college classes, and reminds me that Nepal doesn't cease to exist while I am abroad. The happenings back home are reflected in headlines, all of which shout 'opportunity'. Somehow, I see light in every seemingly negative article as they suggest the need for change and a solution.

Problems outnumber solutions, but luckily we have a new generation of educated and driven Nepalis both abroad and at home who can help solve them. We are a generation fueled by revolution, one that has seen 20 years of change. We are a part of this movement and it is our collective responsibility to keep the ball rolling.

Opportunities for change exist at both the local and national level. Coming back to Nepal this summer, I have had the opportunity to work at an INGO in Kathmandu where the majority of staff are also Nepalis who studied abroad and have returned. I see the difference that can be made, and is being made.There is a niche for anyone and everyone in the social, political and economic milieu around us. There is so much to be done, but not enough of the right people to do it. Returning, one can become a pioneer, making a big difference to society and to oneself. This is a path reserved only to those risk-takers who are willing to face and defeat technical, political and structural hurdles along the way. Nevertheless, there is something valuable on this difficult road: home. It is everything that defines me: my family, my friends, my home, my food, my culture, my religion and everything else that comes with the privilege of being able to live and work among your own people.

Coming home should not be an obligation or burden. The choice of returning is individual, and it should be driven by the Nepaliness in us. If you do come back, it is bound to be a win-win situation for you and for Nepal. Many my age may dream of a one way ticket out, but my return tickets home are already booked.
(Courtesy: Nepali Times)

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