I spend my free time typically walking around Kathmandu to explore new local places. I love going to eat at various different restaurants to try new food or revisit old food that I enjoy. It has also been great to visit my cousins and relatives here in Kathmandu.

Of particular memory recently was when I went trekking through the Himalayas for 4 days. My office team had recommended that I take this trek to Mardi Himal, and therefore I got a long weekend off and went on a solo trek with a professional guide. I was in no contact with civilization for four days. The trek itself was highly difficult and was something I had never done before. We walked 6-8 hours uphill every day for 3 days, and on the 4th day we walked uphill for 2 hours at 3 AM and trekked back down to civilization for another 6 hours. The views through the jungles and the mountains were beautiful. Every night I could feel the physicality of trekking as my entire body was sore by the first night, but I kept going because I wanted to get to the top. On the third night, the guide and I woke up at 3 AM and trekked another 2 hours uphill to the top of Mardi Himal Viewpoint, where I got to see the most beautiful sunrise of my life coming from behind the Fishtail Mountain. Getting to the top was an experience like no other. I saw beautiful stars throughout all three nights, and the view from 4500 meters high in altitude was an experience like no other. I also got to interact with the Sherpas who live high up in the mountains. Speaking Nepali myself, I was able to connect deeply with them and understand their stories and life experiences. I have included some photos of my journey below: