Panch Pokhari: Up the hills, into myself

The trek pushed me beyond my comfort zone, but it also gave me memories of calm lakes, warm fires, and kind strangers.

I’ve loved nature and hikes since childhood, so trekking had been on my wish list for years, and for the past two, I’d been looking for an opportunity. So when I met my best friend’s cousin during Dashain and found out she was going to Panch Pokhari, I asked to join right away. A casual conversation turned into reality, and soon I was trekking with her and two friends I had never met before.