Just one more step…
The last few weeks I've been on a journey of resilience and adventure with my husband. What started with a "let's go away somewhere" conversation turned into a "okay, we are going to Nepal to do the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek".
For those who haven't done this trek, it is a 9-10 day trek which consists of thousands upon thousands of stone steps which go from extreme uphills to downhills with some brief reprieves. There are days which seem the stairs will never end.
Nature has alway grounded me and I feel so humbled when I'm amongst mountains, but the Himalayas is something else. It makes the mountains of the Dandenong Ranges, where we live, seem like a mere hill.
The spiritual connection you feel to the mountains is immense. The gods and goddesses which the locals believe rule the mountains are a reminder that nature holds power and deep significance.
This trek brought life-changing moments for me. From deep friendships, highs and low, our guides and porters turning into family, to feeling the wrath and beauty of the mountains.
Trekking the ABC is akin to the journey of life, you need to remind yourself that one step is the beginning of everything. Some days are scary, some days are full of sunshine, some days you're on your last legs, but if we keep taking small step together I promise we will all get there.
Thank you to Adventure Sinbad, to our guides Vishwas and Manoj and also to our porter Navraj. You pushed me beyond what I thought my body and mind could do. For someone like me who has endometriosis and Ménière's disease, I was anxious about doing this trek. But this trek proved to me that I am not the labels that I put on myself. These labels don't hold me back. I am whoever I want me to be, and so are you.
If you would a reputable and friendly organisation to do a trek across the Himalayas with, I highly recommend: https://adventuresindbad.com/product-tag/vishwas-raj/
P.S. I suffered from altitude sickness upon reaching the base camp at around 4000m above sea level. It felt excruciating with migraines, diarreah and nausea. We had to go down the mountain to increase the oxygen for me but after a day of rest, it was like I had reincarnated and had my biggest day of 10 hour straight trekking!
Uppma at Chomrong after coming back from Annapurna Base Camp.
