My first day at my current job was about eighteen months ago, when I started as a junior civil engineer at a construction company in Kathmandu. I'd just finished my degree, and it was my first proper full-time job.
I arrived forty minutes early because I was so worried about being late, and I sat in the car park pretending to read emails. My supervisor, Sunita, met me at reception and gave me a tour of the office, introduced me to about thirty people whose names I forgot instantly, and then handed me a hard hat and boots. To my surprise, instead of a day of paperwork, she took me straight to a building site where they were constructing a small hospital. I spent the afternoon following her around, taking notes, and trying to look as if I understood the conversations about concrete pressure and drainage levels. At lunch, the site workers shared their dal bhat with me, which was the most relaxed part of the day.
By the evening, I felt exhausted and slightly overwhelmed. University had taught me the theory, but on site everything moved so fast, and there were so many practical details I'd never considered. At the same time, I felt excited, because I'd seen a real building rising out of the ground, and I could imagine myself contributing to it. Sunita told me that everyone feels lost for the first three months, which reassured me. On the bus home, I made a list of words I needed to look up. Looking back, that first day set the tone: challenging but rewarding.