Don't go...you will die!

Not a lot of people know that I will be trekking Mount Everest Base Camp as my immediate plan, but for those who do, I noticed people's reaction belongs to one of two camps.

Camp 1: emotionless and without much comment, input, or feeling. They react as if I had said, " Nice weather."

Camp 2: one of these comments, a combination of these comments, or all of these comments.
"Don't go, it's so dangerous!", "You are crazy!", "Please come back in one piece!", "Are you sure?" and my favorite " You will die!"

I'm not looking for encouragement, pep talk, giddy excitement or any ego boosting spiel because one's positive or negative opinion or advice is completely indifferent to me. Basically, I don't give a hoot one way or the other if you think I can barely put my right foot in front of my left or if you think I'm Joan of Arc. I certainly can understand one's concern and fear of venturing to trek the world's highest mountain because elevation sickness has killed many hikers and climbers. This is a legitimate and reasonable concern so I totally empathized with Camp 2 people. However, I am a bit baffled and somewhat curious by the former group. Do Camp 1 people not know what Mount Everest is or they didn't hear what I said? Because it sounds too unbelievable?

When I told Carla and Jeff, my two trekking partners, that the people around me are doubters and discouraging, they both quickly came to the same conclusion: jealousy.

I suspected the same as I can see why one would be deeply jealous upon learning that someone is doing something interesting and uncommon, even extraordinary. Hiking a mountain may not be every one's cup of tea, however, having the luxury of time, not having to have to work, an adventurous spirit, excitement for an upcoming adventure, and to experience a fucking awesome once in a lifetime gig should and would make one envious assuming they have none of that in their reality but can only dream in their daydreams.

To boot, the way we three musketeers are going about it may even make one greener with envy because we are completely independent and free spirited with the truest sense of the meaning of the word: adventure. We are not joining a group with a schedule for an exorbitant fee and are lead like a herd of mountain goats. We three plan to trek from Katmandu to Jiri, the trail head for Everest, and then continue our ascent with our own packs up to base camp. This may take over a month since we plan to spend Christmas in Namche Bazaar and hang out in villages to soak in some Nepali culture with the people, village, and lifestyle. One can not get more hardcore than us. True backpackers, true adventure, true experience, and true authenticity of what it means to trek in Mount Everest, the magical snow capped Himalayas where the mythical Abominable Snowman resides.

My daughter, Fendi, was my motivation to stay safe and to return to her as a whole mother

I must come back alive in one piece and to give all the naysayer, the one who said I am over confident, the one who predicted my death, the one who thinks this and that...my middle finger as a token of my arrogance, strength, and will.