Dhal Bhat and My Dad's Pizza: Comfort and Steep Learning Curves in Nepal

Food is central to our lives. We cannot live without it; our bodies need it to function. But food has more meaning than energy to move our muscles, to help us think, or give us vital vitamins and minerals. We relate food to experiences. Traveling to new places almost always involves trying local cuisine or local specialties. We find comfort in food; in greasy, cheesy, gooey, delicious foods. We eat to deal with stress, to celebrate joy, to mourn losses. Holidays are almost always associated with foods. Food is not just a physical need, but also an emotional and psychological need or desire. While traveling in Nepal, this became even more true. I spent more time thinking about food, salivating over food, and mourning over food, than I thought possible. Food gave me comfort; it helped me to communicate and bridged the gaps between me and the people of Nepal, while also causing me hardships. In this project I related my experiences with living in Nepal for four months to my obsession with food while I was there.