TIBET
- Jan 24
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 13
When the Dream Weighs More Than Fear: A Letter from Tibet
Dear friend,
Sometimes dreams are heavier than fear. And for years, Tibet lived in my head like a forbidden dessert — something you look at, desire, and postpone.
What about altitude sickness? What if I can’t handle it? What if I run out of breath on the first uphill walk?
At 61, there’s little patience left for excuses. Either I went now, or I would regret it forever.
Preparing to Arrive, Not to Impress
I prepared as if I were climbing Everest on my own (which, luckily, wasn’t the plan).
Gym sessions, swimming, long walks — and one daily mantra: You can do this.
I wasn’t looking for heroics. I was looking to arrive.
Traveling after 60 isn’t about showing strength. It’s about respecting your limits and still moving forward.
China: Where the Show Begins
I landed two days early to adapt to the altitude. The altitude was fine. Immigration, however, almost sent me straight back home.
One officer found it deeply suspicious that a woman was traveling alone to Tibet. The result: me, my small suitcase — a true Tetris masterpiece — wide open, a full search, phone inspection, and my best what on earth did I do wrong face.
Two Hours Not Listed on the Itinerary
When they realized a Chinese agency had organized the trip, everything changed. I gave them the agent’s number — thankfully, he answered. Two hours later, they let me go. No explanation. Just me collecting my things, jet lag aside, carrying a frustration I could barely swallow.
Welcome to China.
More Controls, More Patience
The next day, my backpack went through the scanner three times. The reason? A small battery-powered personal alarm.
They loved it. So much, in fact, that they kept it.
Back to the office. More permit checks. At that point, I truly wondered if I would ever set foot in Tibet.
Lhasa: Where Everything Slows Down
And then, finally, Lhasa.
The hotel felt like another world: calm, smiles, Tibetan decor that feels like an embrace. I walked along the river and somehow ended up invited to a Tibetan pub by the kindest man.
He called his wife.They fed me. Then they walked me back to my hotel so I wouldn’t get lost.
My first real lesson about the Tibetan people: kind, curious, respectful — and carrying a quiet happiness that’s contagious.
The Group, the Route, and the Body
We were fifteen travelers from all over the world: Bangladesh, Malaysia, Taiwan, the U.S., Argentina, Spain — and two Tibetans, our guide and driver.
We visited the Potala Palace, Sera Monastery, incense workshops, Tibetan calligraphy.
And then came altitude sickness: headaches, oxygen, dizziness. Walking felt like sprinting.
It only hit me on the first day. Water, rest… and adaptation.
Each day we climbed higher. Dry cold. Wind that clears your soul. A brutal sky and summer light at –12°C.
Yamdrok Lake — bluer than the sky itself. Now I understand why it’s sacred.
Everest: The Dream Fulfilled
And then, there it was. Everest.
No photo prepares you for seeing it with your own eyes. We couldn’t sleep at base camp, –21°C made that impossible at 5 p.m. but I saw it at sunset and again at sunrise.
That was enough to cross off a dream that had waited for me for years.
I traveled alone, but I was never lonely.
Sometimes fear is just a sign that what you’re about to do truly matters.
My legs shook. They searched me to the core. I lost my personal alarm.
But I came back with something far better: the certainty that I still have dreams to fulfill — and that age is not an excuse, but a powerful push forward.
Tibet reminded me that life is still vast.
And so am I.
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