How do I even begin to describe the past month on the Annapurna Circuit? I could talk about waking up to snow-capped mountains outside a frosty window pane. Or how the weight of my backpack seemed to get lighter as I settled into the rhythm of the trail. I could describe the nights I spent in the lodges huddled around the wood-fire stoves swapping stories with fellow trekkers. Or how some of these strangers would become good travel partners and friends.

I started out on the Annapurna Circuit as a solo trekker, but one thing that I’ve learned from traveling is that you are never truly alone. As soon as I got on the bus to take me to the trail-head in Besisahar, I had a friend. She was an energetic, fast-talking young woman from Brazil named Maura. By the end of the 4-hour bus ride I had a trekking partner and a new friend.

Our group grew in the next couple days. We were joined by a couple college grads from the US, a group of friends from Germany, and another solo traveler from Bavaria named Bastian. By the second day, we had a group of nine which we would travel with for the rest of the circuit. That was the plan. However, the thing about trekking (and life in general) is that few things go according to plan.

By the third day, two guys from the group who were feeling sick took a jeep up the trail to wait for us and recover. On the fifth day, I hung back in the village of Temang with Bastian for a much needed rest day. The remainder of the group pushed on. They were on a schedule and had to finish the circuit in time to catch buses and flights out of Nepal.

Another lesson I’ve learned from travel: don’t put yourself in a time crunch. This would end up being the downfall of nearly half of our trekking group. I had over a month to complete the trail. If I liked a village on the trail, I stopped and explored. If the weather looked uninviting, I waited it out. If I felt a cold coming on, I took it easy for a few days. Most of my fellow trekkers didn’t have that luxury. They had a schedule to follow and needed to push on. That meant passing by incredible viewpoints, walking through rain, and not allowing their body essential time to recover.

So the band broke apart. The two that took the jeep ahead would end up leaving the trail early with another two that got sick before Thorung La Pass (the max elevation at 5416 m). Maura took a side trip to Tilicho Lake before going on to the pass. The last two skipped Tilicho Lake and cut the circuit short just over the pass. After the first week we were only two: me and Bastian.

It was sad to see them go, but after the group broke apart everything slowed down. We cut long days in half and spent time in little towns barely even mentioned in the guidebook. We got to know the lodge owners and I spent time working on my Nepali language skills. At one lodge we even got to help cook the dal bhat! This was exactly the kind of experience I was looking for. I’ve been on hikes where I’ve had to crank out the miles and the challenge was exhilarating. However, this is likely the only time I will be hiking in the Annapurnas. I wanted it to last.

The trip around the Annapurna Circuit took us through all types of terrain. In the beginning we hiked along a coursing river through lush, green forests. Soon we entered the foothills and caught our first views of the snowy mountains. A week into the trek, we were above the tree line, and the land rippled like brown canvas. Up on Thorung La Pass we were surrounded by mountains on all sides without any indication of civilization besides the trail under our feet. On the other side of the pass was desert that reminded me of Arizona. As we descended, a river valley opened up, and trees begin to grow again. I passed through entire seasons over the course of a day. It was unbelievable.

The scenery will be in my memory for a long time, but perhaps what I will remember most are the small moments shared with other trekkers. I’ll reminisce about the days spent hiking alongside strangers turned friends, swapping stories beneath the shadow of the Himalayas. I’ll smile back on the time I found an apple orchard along the trail and carried two kilograms of apples in my pack. I’ll laugh about the time we went to every shop in Manang in search of a spoon. I’ll tell stories about the time we accidentally trekked into Upper Mustang (a HUGE fine if caught) while looking for the village of Jhong. And of course, I’ll never look at a jar of peanut butter without thinking of the peaks where we stopped for an Elevation Creation (PB-snickers-wrap, patent pending).

It’s the little things. Stop to dip your feet in the stream. You might end up going for a swim. Sit on a rock and watch the skyline. You might catch a glimpse of something beautiful.  Strike up a conversation with a stranger. You might find an unlikely friend.