I am a mother, wife, geek at heart and an engineer by profession. I was born and raised in Nepal and had no fear of breaking barriers to become an engineer. But three years ago, I started experiencing severe back pain, which significantly affected my mobility. Walking without pain was my true wish at the time. I had to teach my son how to tie my shoelaces because I couldn’t – a simple thing we take for granted.
At that moment, I knew I wanted to do something to get out of pain. I couldn’t run, but I could walk – baby steps. So I started exploring the trails around the Metroplex. I was pleasantly surprised to find a number of beautiful trails here. After embarking on several high altitude hikes in different states, I felt ready for my ultimate test: Everest Base Camp.
Luckily, I had friends and family members who were supportive and adopted my dream as their own. My husband and son became my biggest cheerleaders. They reminded me of my own mantra: “Whatever your mind says is what your body is going to do.”
On October 22, I boarded the 28-plus hour flight from DFW to Nepal. The flight to Lukla Airport, considered the most dangerous airport in the world, was just the start. We trekked uphill about six to eight hours a day. Walking along rivers and mountains, you have the chance to connect with yourself. There was no to-do list. I was just listening to my footsteps, the wind and the bells tied around the yak.
Around day six, I began to feel homesick. My body was fighting the altitude and warring with time. The rescue helicopters were plain reminders of the dangers on the mountain. Some days, we would see three in one hour. It gets in your head and makes you second-guess your ability. I had to look back at what I’d accomplished instead of what I still had to do.
The best part of walking with people was hearing their stories. Everyone I talked to had their own reasons for taking the trek, but we were all connected through the mountains. Huge mountains made me realize how small humans are.
After eight days of continuous walking, sleeping in lodges, no showering and watching the rescue helicopters come and go, I reached the basecamp around 3 a.m. central time. It took about 10 minutes for reality to set in: I accomplished my goal. I spent some time reading cards from friends and family, and I ate a cookie my friend baked me as a final treat.
I am now home with more appreciation for the roof over my head, food on my plate and clean air to breathe. I returned with a greater sense of appreciation for my life and the lives of others. Life-changing opportunities are never out of reach. I think at least one time in everyone’s life, people should take on a distant dream, just so you know that you can.
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