Journey of a Lifetime
After years of planning, Covid delays, and saving up personal days, Mr. Thomas Hoover, who teaches English at East Forest High School, was able to take the trip of a lifetime in November of 2023, through Europe, into Nepal, northern India, and back to Paris.
Hoover’s first real stop was in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he flew to Lukla by helicopter in order to begin the journey to Mount Everest base camp on foot. However, fate threw him a curveball when he developed severe altitude sickness on Day 2 of the climb. After 2 more days of trying to tough it out, he and his porter were forced to retreat and recalculate after making it to the Namche Bazaar area. Back in Kathmandu, he spent a day sightseeing and visiting some of the cultural highpoints before heading out to Chitwan National Park, a jungle area famous for its rhinos, tigers and crocodiles.
For the second half of his trip, he traveled west to India, spending time in the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. He visited the Taj Mahal (shown in the picture) on a foggy day and was awed by the Amber Palace in Jaipur.
He finished his trip with two days in Paris, visiting the Louvre for the first time and enjoying the wonders of the city.