At Gokyo Ri overlooking Gokyo Lakes in Nepal’s Himalayas.
She’s the girl with the uneven tanned bodyScorched skin from the rays of the sun from trekking the high passes.She’s the girl with the high cut bootsAnd a pair of trekking poles that she depends her life onShe’s the girl who catches the sunrise and sunsetFor either of them will suit her just fine.Don’t date a girl who treksFor this means you wake up at some ungodly hourand race your feet to the tops of the mountains.God forbid if she misses the sun’s spectacleYou’ll see her purse her lips in utter disappointmentBut fear notBecause as soon as she sees the majestic peaks before her eyesShe will smile again in no timeShe’s the girl who knows her summits’ namesAnd their heights from sea levelHer favorite numbers are those that begin at 3000 and aboveIn meters to be exactDon’t date a girl who treksShe will ask you where you are fromAnd feels a bit torn when you come from a place closer to sea level rather than a rangeDon’t date a girl who treksBecause she will not want you to wine and dine herBut rather would desire more of your timeAs she would have you hike with her in the middle of nowhereday and all night.Don’t date a girl who treksHer heart is already takenBy those named Himalayas, Andes, and AlpsUnless you are willing to join in her pursuits of themDon’t date a girl who treksShe’s armed with gear you have not even heard ofLike her spot or go girlAnd you must be curious to see how she uses themDon’t date a girl who treksShe has her battle scars called blisters that she wouldn’t want you to noticeWhen strolling in flip flops on a beachDon’t date a girl who treksShe will bask in the wilderness without a bedEating dehydrated food and trail barsFind you appealing only when you can brave no shower for daysDon’t date a girl who treksFor her soul is already fullOf memories of peaks and summitsReally, you’re just there to take a photo of her on top of oneDon’t date a girl who treksFor her longing for mountains is constantAnd you will hear an earful of it all the timeDon’t date a girl who treksShe loves to be present in the momentRushing is for the city lifeWhile allowing time to pass by slowly reminds her of that freedomDon’t date a girl who treksFor there will be no wild parties or hang oversJust a meditative moment in the woodsDon’t date a girl who treksShe will eventually go off the beaten pathAnd you will have to be there to save herIn times when she needs a helping handDon’t date a girl who treksFor her sense of direction is via a trail mapPlace her in a city and she’s lostAnd you’ll be stranded in no timeDon’t date a girl who treksFor she lives life to the fullestIf you cannot catch up to her when she fliesThen don’t think she’d even shed a single tearIf you tell her goodbyeDon’t date a girl who treksShe will go exploring on her own when her heart so desiresAnd will only return to you when she finally misses youDon’t date a girl who treksShe finds beauty in any situationEven when the rain is pouring or the wind blowing too strongDon’t date a girl who treksFor she finds purpose in hiking the tallest peaksEven if it means risking her healthOr risking her lifeDon’t date a girl who treksFor her creativity can take you to far off places that you never imagined wanting to goIn taking risks she finds a sense of alivenessBe prepared to match her fearlessnessDon’t date a girl who treksFor beyond the layer of toughnessThere is a heart full of love and longingFor someone like you to cross her pathTo share her adventures withAnd if you’re lucky enough to date a girl who treksShe will have you join in her world of trekkingYou will marry the mountains like she didAnd in returnHer loving you is as honest as her passion for trekkingYour relationship will be treated as holy as a pilgrim’s koraShe embraces challenges like it’s another summit to overcomeAnd every single day you will savor the sunrises and sunsets like they were your lastShe will challenge your limits only to become better each day.Don’t date a girl who treksFor she will make you live and appreciate an irregular lifeAnd fill it with so much magic that you will never ever want to walk off trail without her by your side.By Brown Gal Trekker
*Dedicated to all solo (or otherwise) female trekkers of the world. *
Throwing prayer flags in the air for good luck before Mt. Everest in Tibet.
Trekking in South Africa’s Drakensberg mountains
