The first day of the trek was spent with the thought that we might not be able to make it to the destination of the first day. We went up along Ghandruk and had our lunch and came down to Landruk and trekked for Jhinu. Moving straight towards Jhinu would be a better idea now that I think about it. However, at the end of the day, there were no regrets and we got to see the Machhapuchhre.

Slowly, days were passing where we walked whole day from early in the morning at 6 or 7 with breakfast on, training our mind over matter to climb the never-ending stairs, greeting foreigners frequently, having conversations with foreign trekkers on various topics along the way, taking small breaks to fill the water bottle and sipping those chilled natural water, and reaching the hotel by evening to sit in those living room filled with trekkers and guides where we casually broke the awkward silence and furthermore start talking about further roads, experiences, hometown and some guides talking about how picky their guests are in the native language.

I just think there is so much beauty in traveling. I have had met my perfect strangers almost every time I travel. I think everything around us teaches us something; sometimes those things give us back our long-lost feelings, sometimes it’s wider sense to our existing perception and sometimes it’s growth in us to be OK with not understanding ourselves. Tony, Tam ho, a middle aged man was a Vietnamese tourist who was climbing to get to ABC as well. We were walking alongside each other, sometimes getting on the front and sometimes on the back of each other. We didn’t talk much. However, I don’t know when we got closer as I said, we often forget the feelings and events. The next time I remember we were clicking pictures of each other, taking turns.

Travelling makes you meet people for a shorter time with beautiful memories. Had we been there for more days, maybe our ego would clash, maybe our disagreements could lead to severe discussions or many things. I am always up for the discussion as long as we finally come to a mutual agreement with either side’s ego clashing into dust. However, it always doesn’t work smoothly. I like the way the trip is planned; where we are not allowed to cling to attachments and getting into a real normal life with bittersweet memories is the best part. Shorter and Sweeter. If you have ever traveled, don’t ask me why traveling? You know it, ask me my opinions and my experiences about it. It gives exposure and allows us to grasp the lessons that we miss while living in the monotonous school to work or work to home life.

I was not typical “me” anymore when I was on the trip. I didn’t care if I was bold enough or was I in my lane of mannerism nor did I care anymore if my bra strap was showing. I cared no more if anyone was looking at my tight leggings or I didn’t want myself to be that straight face strong individual or feel uneasy about anything, unlike my normal life. The “Be yourself zone” started. The real me, the sometimes pretty and most times ugly, the truth folded; the ego in me was reflected, again and again, I could realize how badly a person can tend to be pessimistic yeah that was me, I could see my temper when I would swear at those mountains for laying so high up above. I could see the real me and it felt good to know myself closely. That’s the beauty of traveling or is it just me!

I have learned two main things since the first trek:

I am nothing and I am everything.

We are so driven in our life influenced by social media, people around us, and things we have to do just because everyone is doing. Some of us have changed ourselves due to the circumstances. We either fall into the group of people who do things under influence of people around them or managing to come up above that and do things completely opposing the mainstream and fall back into the same category cause we doing either to follow or to completely oppose cause we hate the fact that we are following or we all are same. And barely a few of us are doing it for ourselves, for our passion, for our strong opinions and strong feelings.

We are allowed to give power to things, thoughts, memories, and people in our lives. That’s when I realized I am everything. Everything in my head and my world; I don’t know about your world but my world, my perception is under my power and my consciousness.

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It felt like a family reunion when I saw all the foreigners we have been stumbling upon since the last few days were all gathered together. It was my very first trek but I felt home in the living room of the hotel. No discomfort, no uneasiness, easy smiles, constant greet, no internet, no virtual connection and smooth conversation. The room was warm both with the vibes and temperature. I don’t know who they were, why they came, what’s their stories but definitely, it was such a happy place for me, must be everybody wanted to break free as me. Half of the people shouting at each other playing cards followed by laughter and teasing, few talking about other treks and history, some having their dinner and two of them talking about pickle rick and laughing out loud; yeah that was my cousin and a foreigner,and one or two reading book quietly in the corner.

This was home for me until the night came and I couldn’t breathe. I was going breathless, trying my best to distract myself by reading a book with a clove of garlic in my one cheek. My heart beating faster and my head starting to feel dizzy. My cousin had the same thing going on and he went to the living room to get the water. When he came back, he ran hurriedly and asked me to come out faster. It was just about to get midnight. Guess what I acknowledged?

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Once I stepped outside the room, we were surrounded by mountains; the white twinkling mountains at midnight. The full moon and millions of stars, surrounded by Annapurna range on the North and Machhapuchre on South. I could play the self-reflection journey, closeness with strangers in spite being an introvert, coming out of my comfort zone, celebrating every view and feeling things I had missed for so long in front of my eyes. It was perfect to sit under the stars in blankets and admire the beauty. No lens could ever do justice to what we see with eyes, nothing could capture what I saw back then unless you have very expensive lenses or some sick photo skills. I am not blessed with both. Obviously, I tried to click the pictures of the million stars and Annapurna standing right in front of me and all I got was a blank black. I know most of you have tried that on starry nights.

The morning sight to Annapurna was similar. This trip couldn’t get any better. It was one of the best trips I have ever had with exposure to people with different perceptions and representations. I was more with myself and I got out of all the confusion I was ever in. More like, I did not care about things I was confused with anymore.

Similarly, my cousin was in his own zone, vibing with Daniel; the Rick and Morty enthusiast and other trekkers/guides and I were on my own. Might come off as offending to readers with whom I have gone trekking with but got to give this one the best one so far where I got to know myself and I felt like I was traveling alone. But yeah, all the other trips might come off as different but I have my own streams of memories attached to every trip and I am thankful I made it those places.

I still think about the time when I and my cousin shared conversations on the terrace. I find it very goofy and funny now that I have grown out of it but cheers to that at least we made a trip together and it came out as perfectly as it could be.