Nepal, Jan. 25 -- I don't know why I decided to walk home from the airport, but I did. There's no proper pathway from the gate to the main road. So, for a stretch of the way, I had to carry my heavy suitcase awkwardly in one hand, bending my body acutely to support the weight. People were staring at me, but I didn't care. I was already on my way.

Outside, I had to fight off an array of taxi drivers and bus conductors who, when I told them I would walk home, gave me a bewildered stare. Understandable. But annoying all the same.

I passed bus stops and parked taxis, thinking only of putting one foot in front of the other. I didn't want to think of anything. I didn't even want to look around at the city I'd returned to after close to a deca...