This week, my social media feed was flooded with pictures of a festival that is typically celebrated in March in Nepal. For me growing up, the festival, which is a Nepalese tradition, had less regional significance and was largely cultural, providing me with a day to play with color and water with my beloved family and friends.
As an international student, being away from home means being disconnected from cultural traditions. While a cultural disconnect is unavoidable, when I see the news headlines or posts that friends share on social media, being ignorant about what's happening hack home fills me with penitence. It had been a while since I read articles about what was happening in Nepal. Even catching up with family members and old friends takes weeks to achieve.
In all honesty, I don't know how to do a better job of keeping up to date with everything when focused on classes and work, and adjusting to college life. The news cycles in the US and at home are changing constantly, and can sometimes feel astonishing. But at least here in Rochester, the everyday chat keeps you knowing what's happening outside the campus. Keeping up with news from home, however, requires the extra individual effort I just can't spare time for while dealing with everything else I have to do here.
Talking to other international students, I find the feeling seems to be common for many of us. Maybe that's just the reality of living abroad, and all we can do is our best. But with the opportunity to celebrate the festival away from home with friends at the university and learn to forgive myself for not staying up to date with what's happening in my country, I know what I have at present is exactly what I need to hold dear and deserves my deep gratefulness.
