Streets full of children singing and dancing, houses covered from top to bottom with colorful lights, the aroma of festival food  from every household, families getting together to exchange greetings and play cards, and fireworks being lit at every corner – this would be a typical description of  the festival of lights commonly known as Tihar or Dipawali. Tihar is a five-day festival celebrated in Nepal where animals like cows, dogs, and crows are celebrated along with the relationship of brothers and sisters. What is interesting is how over time, celebrating with fire-crackers has become an integral part of Tihar, especially as fire-crackers do not have roots in Hindu traditions.

This is a constantly-evolving world and throughout history we have seen a great amount of technological advancement that has benefited humankind. Everything we know about civilization is the product of intelligence, so amplifying humankind with the help of artificial intelligence has the possibility of flourishing our civilization like never seen before as long as we are able to keep the technology beneficial.

It seems as if flawless skin, gorgeous and skinny bodies, stunning dresses along with dazzling crowns and tiaras is like a fairytale coming to life. But are they really what we should idolize?

Is it true that our future is already determined and nothing we do will change it? I personally don’t think so. I believe that one’s fate is in one’s own hands. We shape our own future. We determine who we are going to become by the decisions we take and the actions that follow such decisions. Nobody can predict what the future holds for them, however, they do have the ability to shape it by their efforts and deeds.

Nepal, although being a small country, is blessed with beautiful trekking routes. Some of the most beautiful landscapes that are only reachable by foot, trekking in Nepal is one of the most enjoyable and unique experiences ever. Four months ago, I along with my family decided to trek along the popular yet challenging routes of Nepal– Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek.