After two years, I finally traveled again—and this time, I submitted the summit of a 15,000 ft mountain.
It was surreal. But more than the view at the top, it was the climb that changed me. Here’s what I discovered about myself—on that path, in that silence, with each breath.
Beyond Fear Lies Joy
I was nervous. It was uncomfortable. Waking up at 4 AM without an alarm to climb a mountain? That’s not my everyday energy. On office days, I keep snoozing.
But that day—I got up, laced my shoes, and climbed. Happily.
There’s a joy that lives beyond fear. In doing hard, uncomfortable things, you discover hidden parts of yourself—things you didn’t even know existed.
Like the courage to take uncertain, steep shortcuts instead of safe, long paths.
Like learning to be fully in the moment, because nature doesn’t let you live in the past or future.
The Journey is the Destination
The company you’re with, the stories you hear, the moments you live—these are what make a destination beautiful. Reaching the top is not the end. Life doesn’t pause there.
One of my favorite moments? Sitting with a forest guard for 3 hours, listening to his stories instead of rushing to the next trail.
We had the option to take stairs (rock-cut and exhausting) or a sloped trail. A fellow traveler suggested the slope, and we reached with ease. On our way down, we tried the stairs and saw people sweating, struggling—yet when we warned others, no one listened.
It taught me: sometimes, guidance comes to make things easier. But we’re too fixated on our own way to receive it.
The Way I See the World
- I don’t capture myself on camera much. I prefer observing others. I’m more curious about their stories than mine. Maybe that’s the storyteller in me.
- I trust rarely, but when I do—it’s complete. No filters. I trust with my life.
- Money? It’s never the first thought in my head.
- I need solitude to recharge. I’m an introvert. I enjoy people, but I need time to return to myself.
The Art of Being Present
There’s a reason we feel so happy in nature:
Because we’re present.
We’re not thinking about yesterday or worrying about tomorrow.
You feel insignificant in front of the mountains—and that’s strangely freeing.
You drink in the beauty with your eyes, and even more with your heart.
Aesthetics draw you into the present and make you feel content.
Reverse it—Be present, and life will start looking beautiful.
I’ve started capturing people and moments—not just for the memories, but to make something out of them and share it. There’s immense joy in that.
And These Little Reminders I Now Carry With Me:
- Practice speaking your truth—every single day. Even if it’s just once.
- You have limited time in this human body. Choose deep experiences over 100 shallow ones.
- The more effort something takes, the more you value it. A summit after 15,000 ft of effort means more than a picture on a phone.
- Stay. Don’t rush. We chose to spend 10 hours at one spot instead of running to 10 places—and it was absolutely worth it.
In the end, it’s all memories. That’s all we are. Just that. Nothing more.