Cotopaxi a Distant Dream

As I climbed higher on the slopes of Cotopaxi, the altitude began to take its toll. Each step demanded more effort than the last, and the mountain seemed to grow steeper with every breath.

Somewhere along the way up the mountain, I collapsed.  The world around me blurred as my vision faded, and the mountain's grandeur transformed into a distant dream.

The summit remained far above, hidden among clouds and ice. It is easy to celebrate the journeys we complete. Harder to accept the ones we do not. 

Standing there, I learned that turning back is not always failure. Sometimes it is simply the wisdom to listen, recover, and return another day, and now Cotopaxi remained unfinished.

And perhaps that is why I still think about it.

27th March 2023

Halfway up Mt. Cotopaxi

Ecuador