Announcement
Photo: Personal Photo
In the sixth installment of the Youth Voices series, Anita Adhikari reminisces on her favorite memories of summer in Nepal:
Summer in Nepal was never my favorite season. Warm heat radiated as the sun blazed overhead. When school was out, I had plenty of free time. Since neither I nor any of my friends owned a phone, we played outside the most.
My house was different than American houses. Bamboo sticks were one of the main resources used to build the walls. Long, sharp, and very pointed leaves helped make the roof. My house had 2 bedrooms and a kitchen, with a stove made of mud. Outside of our family’s house was the big forest which I was not allowed to enter without my parents’ permission.
However, my favorite game was playing hide and seek in the forest. One day, the weather was pleasant. There was a fairly strong wind blowing and I went outside to play with my friends. With the summer sun burning, we decided to play hide and seek in the shade of the forest.
Thankfully, I wasn’t the first seeker, so I crouched behind these huge bushes where no one could see me. Suddenly, I heard my friend scream, “I got you!” from behind me. I was just so happy to not be the first one to be caught. We played hide and seek in the forest until the mountains started to cover the sun as it set. As I walked home, I thought this was the best day of summer.
The memories of playing with my friends at home in Nepal are the most sacred memories to me. Even though I have moved far away, I will always treasure that beautiful day of playing in the forest in the summer.
Anita Adhikari and her family were resettled by the IRC in 2012. She is a rising senior at Richland Collegiate High School. In her free time Anita enjoys playing soccer and dancing. She hopes to one day become a physical therapist.