It’s crazy and a little wonderful to think that people I met by chance in a freshman dorm are now the ones I trust on icy trails, passing around a bag of granola as the sun rises over Yosemite.
We set out at 5 a.m., half-asleep, joking about the permit we forgot to get. It was snowing and we slipped often, but the clumsiness felt like just another part of the journey. We watched the sunrise stretch across the valley, taking in the scale, the stillness, and the simple joy of being fully in the moment.
There’s something beautiful about being outside together. Maybe it’s the small acts of care when someone’s pace slows, the inside jokes born from near-missteps, or the way a long hike strips everything down to just the now. Whatever it is, I’m grateful—for these experiences, the views, the laughter—and most of all, for these friendships that have taken root along the way.
Meiya Gujjalu 
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