I hope you will find your mountain,    

it's always there.                                    

Carla Jauregui

We had had a trip like this many times before. No matter the time, being together was the only important thing. “No matter the weather”, I thought, “when I can take this warm hand”. “No matter the landscape, the outer world; I go off all of that if he's close to me”, that's what Olivia felt.

But this time, it's a little different. Now, her hand has not only the usual warmth but the coolness of the ring in her fourth finger. I do know the world around us actually matters, because it's our honeymoon.

We are not walking this time, we are traveling by train. And we have to be careful with the weather, we are in Switzerland and it's very cold. Both of us are watching through the window and what we see seems unreal. The green countryside, with little and colorful cottages, and some animals. In the background, the huge and high mountains, the majestic Alps with their snowy summits, higher than our thoughts, older than our memories... but stronger than our wills?

―What tall mountains! ―Olivia brought me back to reality with that phrase.

―Pretty difficult for anyone to scale them... ―I said.

She turned her face to me and said:

―Have you thought of the reason leading people to do so? Let's say, why would anyone climb the Alps, the Rocky Mountains, the Aconcagua, or even the Everest?

―I've always had a great concept of that kind of people ―I answered―. They constantly look for adventure, for new challenges.

―But that's not enough ―she replied―. There has to be something more than that. I mean, what makes this activity special? If you like to take risks, you have plenty of options, and many of them more handful.

That made me laugh out loud.

―Certainly ―I admitted―. But what about the glory, the fame you get by doing such climbing thing? That's not so common.

―Oh, men, you all always so materialistic! I insist, it's not enough. When do you decide to climb the mountains, or go down to the deep ocean? Seriously, don't you have anything else to do? All those people need to do that, I'm asking why ―and she turned to watch the powerful Alps.

I started thinking. These are not the highest points on Earth; however, they look pretty inaccessible. Just imagine Mount Everest... Olivia was right, why the hell does anyone need to scale so high? But, well, if the mountain is in your way you need to go through, you need to defeat nature...

―You are my Mount Everest ―I told her. She looked at me surprised at first, and then, started laughing.

―Well, I know I'm tall, but not that tall.

―No, no. I'm serious. I was just walking around, following my route in life and suddenly you appeared and stood up there, like a mountain. Since I met you, I couldn't continue walking, now I needed to climb ―I'm sure I looked excited when I was saying that.

Olivia seemed a bit confused, maybe she was wondering if her decision of marrying me had been the right one. No words for a moment, and then she said, looking straight at me:

―So, climber, tell me: why did you climb Mount Everest?

―Because it was there ―I said, naturally.

―What do you mean? ―at this point she was totally puzzled.

―You spread all over my route. No way around, the way-back with no destiny... I needed to move forward, so I needed to climb. I'm trying to reach the summit, to defeat the Everest, to face the challenge. After that, I'll be able to continue my way to the final goal.

―And why the Everest? ―she asked me very upset.

―When you appeared in my life, I couldn't stop thinking of you. You captured me, your eyes just kidnapped my mind. I couldn't forget you and ignore you like if we had never met. That's why you are the Everest and that's why I need to climb. It makes sense, doesn't it?

My question didn't get an answer. As I ended talking, she turned her face again. Now the train was moving us back and forth. I was able to hear the silence, the only disrupting noise came from the train wheels on the railway. The Alps were quiet, as usual.

―Hey, darling.

She turned and looked at me, without saying a word.

―You didn't believe me, did you?

―Oh, stupid joker! ―she said and sighed, but there was a smile in her face.

I turned to her and put my hands on her shoulders, saying, straight at her eyes:

―You are my Everest, I was right, but I wasn't serious in my answer to your question. When I met you, all other things became secondary. I saw the Everest, its magic, its mysteries. I heard about its secrets. And now, my route doesn't exist anymore. I want to go nowhere. I just want to climb, and keep climbing, this beautiful mount. Why do people scale? Because when you find the mountain, nothing else matters. What do you look for? To find out a secret? To place a flag? To take a photo? No, you want the mountain ―I stopped for a couple seconds, and then continued―. I want my Everest, I want you. And I will love you forever.

She was crying at that moment. Then she kissed me, like always, like never before, maybe like she will ever do.

The train kept running through the quiet Switzerland. The Alps, everlasting guardians, observed through our window how two souls merged into only one.