Awish. Come true. Perfected. 

To live. To the fullest. With every breath. Every second. To experience what one would regret having missed. This ambition drove me towards my new goal. To visit Nepal and trek the magnificent mountains of the Himalayas. 

From the unspoken desire to visit Nepal and Tibet to the interview that has had a profound impact on my career as a journalist. As they say: in the right place at the right time. An interview with Viki Grošelj about the anniversary expedition to Nepal. To celebrate one of the greatest achievements of mountaineering in the Himalayas: the 40th anniversary of the first Slovenian ascent to an eight-thousander. Initially, I reported about the expedition, the next moment I joined it.

And just like that I went on a then still business trip to Nepal. It was no ordinary trip. Not at all. I was a reporter for Planet TV in Nepal. Before I left, I had been asked at least five times: “How will you survive a month among pensioners?” Easier than with any other group. That was one of the most beautiful experiences. Not only because of the eight-thousanders, where I could breathe freely despite the breath-taking views. Mostly because of the people I had met. Those I met along the way and those who joined me on the journey. 

So many stories, so many difficult moments and so much motivation among these people! What pensioners?! They have more energy than my colleagues do. When I heard their stories about conquering the mountain peaks, I experienced them again, so vividly were they describing them as we walked through picturesque valleys. Joy. Tears. Happiness. Death. Love. Resentment. It is all a part of these stories.

And the best thing? Whatever happened to them, they accepted it. They had moved on. Now, they can talk about all of this without hesitation. Sometimes with some aftertaste. Sometimes with tears in their eyes. Sometimes with a group hug. For they are people who feel. Who let themselves be vulnerable.