Nepal, Nov. 8 -- Life after Dashain and Tihar is hard. First, I have to say goodbye to my family members and come home to an empty, often dusty, apartment. Though I live with my husband in a one-bedroom apartment with plenty of plants and a cat, our home feels a little strange after the chaos (aka my beloved extended family) I get used to having around during the festive season. Going to work is difficult after a month of playing cards, partying, and binging on Netflix.

The hardest of it all is to go back to my regular routine of eating right and exercising. What's worse is that I inevitably put on a few kilos during Dashain and then a few more during Tihar so I feel out of shape and I know I have to get back on track but I seem to be un...