A Trail of Conversations and Connections | August 30–31: The Alicia Panoramic Park (8-Hour Circuit Trail)

Walking With People, Walking With Life

Today I chose not to think of hardships but of the moments I journeyed with people.

Every step I take, I take with those beside me. Each smile hides a story, each encounter carries a lesson. For a time, these strangers became family.

Some felt distant, some so close it seemed like we had lived together for so long. One even felt like a long-lost brother. The thought of twin souls crossed my mind again.

Three of them were incredibly strong, so strong I knew I could never keep their pace. My legs would give out and my chest would burn trying to follow. So I stayed with my rhythm. Hiking should always be like that, walking your own pace. Life should be like that too. No races, no competitions, only a journey to be enjoyed one step at a time.

There were three others who caught my attention for their wit and brilliance. At first they intimidated me, coming from Cebu with another hiking group. But along the way, I realized how cool they were. They started conversations, sparked laughter, and never kept themselves apart from the group.

Another five from Cebu at first felt distant, as strangers often do. But then the rain soaked us, the mud sent us sliding, and the shared struggle tore the walls down. We laughed together, saw the same views, endured the same difficulties. Slowly, the distance faded and we grew close, bound by rain, mud, and trail.

Three more souls kept to the back. Quiet, timid, watching and listening. They rarely spoke but I could sense their laughter within. These are the kind of souls you never push. They open up when they want to. Silence for them does not mean distance. It means presence in their own way.

Two came from far away. Their walls seemed too high to reach at first. I thought the trail itself might break them down, and it did. Small talks turned to chuckles, chuckles to long conversations, and before we knew it, laughter carried us home.

There were familiar faces too. People I already knew, brothers of the trail. Their presence gave me comfort and confidence. I had seen their strength, sometimes equal to mine, sometimes even greater. With them I could walk without worry.

And then there were the conversations that went deeper than the rain and the trail. We spoke of life, of challenges, of dreams and failures. Different perspectives reminded me how vast life is. Under the heavy rain, with aching legs and gasping breaths, the talks felt like another kind of summit.

This is why the mountains always call me back. Not just for the escape and the views, but for the people, for the moments, for the journey shared. The summit may be the goal, but the trail is where the meaning is found. Equal struggles, equal joys, equal beauty. No judgment, no one above or below. Just one trail, one summit, one family, even if only for a short time.