In 2017 my girlfriend and I set off on a five-week journey through Nepal. Part of that trip was a nineteen-day trek through the Everest region. We conquered 3 mountain passes, crossed multiple glaciers, and reached altitudes of 5600 meters (over 18,000 feet).
On the final day, before descending back down, we stayed in a little village called Chukhung. We shared a meal of dal bhat, lentils and rice, around the fireplace with some friends we had met along the way. Exchanging laughter and stories about the challenges we had just overcome. After dinner we all headed out and enjoyed one last sunset, amongst some of the tallest peaks in the world.
Terrain here was rugged. There is not much vegetation aside from grass. The landscape comprises of mostly rock, ice, and dirt. Nearby, the crisp waters of a glacial stream cut its way through the ice and rock. Some valley fog was settling in the distance. I thought about the journey that lay ahead. The next day we would head to lower elevations. Further away from the impressive peaks we had been hiking through for the past weeks. The hard part was over, but we still had a long way to go. Suddenly, the sky burst into a magnificent sunset, as if the Earth were congratulating us on our success and wishing us well on our next adventure. We could not have asked for a better goodbye.
This piece reminds me to set my goals high and to challenge myself. If you dream big and work hard, I think you can attain any goal you set for yourself. You might fail multiple times on the way, but if you stick with it, success will follow.
This image was photographed by Vincent Schnabl.
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