It has now been over two weeks since I returned from India, and I am still thinking about my time there. The month of May feels like a blip in my life. The normal flow of time diverged for thirty days and took me on an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime adventure that continues to shape my perspective…

After the Taj Mahal, we soon returned to the hotel, where we were blessed with a full breakfast buffet. The omelettes, sausages, pancakes, muffins, and fruit were heavenly. After eating, we had about an hour to pack our suitcases and leave for the Agra Fort. I enjoyed my last few moments of air conditioning and…

When our bus rolled into the parking lot of the hotel, I was shocked at the fancy chandeliers I could see from my window. Butlers quickly came to take our luggage to our rooms, and we were all served glasses of rose water in the lobby. Someone (I think Thomas Lee) said that this hotel…

When we returned from the trek, we had two days to gather ourselves before leaving the Hanifl Centre. Top items on my agenda were cleaning gear, organizing my suitcase, and writing blog posts. With my remaining free time, I had some options. Some of us discussed going into town, which I strongly considered. However, after…

Now that I have summarized the events of our trek, some reflection is in order. I acknowledge that my perspective today might be very different from my perspective in a couple weeks, months, or years. The most valuable thing I gained from the trek was a wealth of experiences to ponder. For each new challenge…

My story continues at the Grand Shiva Hotel. The architecture was quite lovely, lifting my spirits (I was keeping my expectations low). I was impressed by our room—fresh sheets, nightstands, and a fairly clean bathroom. Even the enormous spider we found behind the trash can was not enough to dampen my elation.   While everyone else…

After a day of rehydrating and recovering, we left in the sunshine to find a new home downhill. The surrounding snow-capped peaks looked brilliant in the blue sky. Our energy was much higher than it was the previous couple of days, likely because the end was near and the hikes were getting shorter.  As we…

Gaurav warned us during our rest day that rain was coming when we felt a warm gust of wind. While it ultimately did not rain that day, the clouds we saw the next morning were a bit ominous. However, the expedition had to go on. We fueled ourselves with a stringy pasta dish (I forget…

I am pleased to announce that I survived ten days in the wilderness! Better yet, I thrived. I saw and experienced things I will remember for the rest of my life, and I cannot wait to share. This post marks Part 1 of four blogs detailing the twelve days of this adventure.  My journey began…