This post features student writing.

We had strawberry pancakes and milk tea for breakfast to prepare us for the final day of our trek. Then the 15 of us students, along with Natalie, John, Chhyamba, Chhiring, Mingmar, and Krishna got ready to head out.

This last day of breathtaking views and conversation was invigorating. The first 30 minutes was uphill with little rest, a short but strenuous walk that left many of us tired. But then it got easier and there was more downhill with the only difficulty being the demon that is monsoon season. The rain made the trail slippery and we all had to remain very alert.

Once this mountain had been entirely conquered, the trail widened into a road. The road was “Nepali flat,” as Mingmar said, with small ups and downs but never too much. We followed this road for a couple of hours, trekking and keeping ourselves entertained. Music and conversation were most common, with the view as a second. Even still, the massive hills to our right provided amazement during breaks in music and talking. The hills towered like giants staring down on us. Clouds enveloped the hill’s crests, providing a “Jack and the Beanstalk”-like visual.

We arrived at our lunch stop around 11:30 AM and were served ramen—everyone scooped their bowls clean. Energized and ready to keep trekking, we headed back into the rain and walked and walked until arriving at home sweet home, Solukhumbu Girls Dorm, around 4 PM. We plopped our bags down, tired and muddy, and had tea, popcorn, and cookies. Our leaders then told us doing laundry was a necessity and so the rest of the afternoon became one of music, water, and splashes. We finished the day with a dinner of dal bhat and pasta. It’s nice to be “home” 🙂

— Elijah