The Journey to Annapurna Base Camp
Sometimes I tell myself, “Is this my last post on social media?” But I always hesitate to write it because I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it. In 2004 (that’s right, twenty-two years ago), before leaving Geneva, Switzerland to return to Cambodia after finishing my studies, I spent a whole day riding around the city, going to every tram and bus line, because I didn’t know when in my life I would be able to return to this expensive European city. Similarly, in March 2019, when five friends and I hiked up to Poon Hill on the Annapurna range of the Himalayas, we promised to come back and climb again to reach Annapurna Base Camp (ABC). But I didn’t know when I would achieve that goal. It is now mid-2026, my body is not what it used to be, yet I don’t think I’m incapable of hiking. I never thought of myself as a mountaineer, but I have a motto in life: if we set our minds to do something, we can do it within our abilities, possibilities, and determination. What I want to share in this pos...