Yo! What's up everyone! This is Number 6, and I'm here to share my first adventure with you all. It's the story of how my journey began.

It feels like a long time ago, but not long enough to forget. It doesn't feel like it's been that long at all. I remember every single moment, and it feels like you just left yesterday... (Cue the music! Haha) Okay, I'm getting carried away. Let's get started!

I met a friend from elementary school on Facebook by chance. This friend enjoys "mountain" travel, and the pictures he likes to post on Facebook are of mountain views, seas of fog, sunsets at viewpoints, and barbecues in the cold air. It's an atmosphere that makes you want to go there, no matter how difficult or challenging it is. I just want to go there! I'm willing to do it! So I messaged him first, "Can you take me on a trip?" And the answer I got was, "I have one trip available, are you interested?" That was the beginning for me. I bought a plane ticket without considering the price, and I didn't even know where I was going. I started my journey on November 27, 2015, arriving in Chiang Mai and waiting for my friend at the airport. My friend would pick me up on his motorbike.

Upon encountering friends, we immediately embarked on a motorcycle adventure. My friend, an avid motorcyclist, frequently embarks on such excursions. On the first night, he informed me that we would be sleeping in a pine forest. Indeed, our first night was spent at the "Bo Kaew Pine Forest" in Hod District, Chiang Mai Province. Upon arrival, due to the late hour, we did not take many photographs. Instead, we prioritized finding a suitable location to pitch our tent and build a fire, as the weather was quite chilly.

Note: The photos in this review have not been edited in any way.

We didn't do much at first, just chatted like people who haven't seen each other in a while, grilling pork and talking. I snapped a few photos, but I was still learning how to use the camera back then, so the pictures aren't great. I couldn't even edit them, haha!

After taking photos, we continued chatting, and I learned that our destination was "Mon Jong", a new mountain (at that time) that was not well-known and had fewer tourists compared to other mountains. We then went to sleep because my friend had booked a 4x4 vehicle to take us up the mountain. We had to leave early in the morning to arrive on time and have enough time to hike up the mountain before dark. I thought to myself, "Wow, the first trip is already this tough!"

My sleep was short-lived as my friend woke me up, announcing that it was time to hit the road! The sky was still pitch black, and my watch read 3:00 AM. (If I were at home at this hour, I'd still be comfortably asleep, drooling on my pillow.) Nevertheless, I woke up, hopped on a motorbike, and we rode until we reached Omkoi District, Chiang Mai, around 7:00 AM. We met up with the person we had arranged to meet, had breakfast, showered, and prepared our supplies for the trek up the mountain. Before setting off, we made merit by offering food to monks and received their blessings for good luck. We then hopped into the back of our friend's 4x4 pickup truck and continued our journey.

We soon arrived at the village office, where we had to inform the officials of our intention to climb the mountain and stay overnight. We could also hire porters at this point if needed. After completing the registration, we continued our journey and soon reached the starting point of the hike. We agreed to meet the driver at noon the next day. Then, we set off! We started walking at 10 am.

The following are the various thoughts that ran through my head as I walked, which I'll share with you briefly. Haha, I really want to tell you about them!

• - Why am I doing this? It's so hot and tiring, and my stuff is heavy.
• - There's nothing special about the surroundings. I don't see anything different here.
• - My friend, Mang, just walks on without paying attention. He doesn't even think about helping or waiting for me. This is my first time, you know! @#@$%@
• - I don't know why I brought this heavy camera. I want to put it down and come back for it later, but I'm afraid it will get lost.

Yes! After seeing this image, my thoughts vanished. All I felt was "This is beautiful!" It was truly worth seeing with my own eyes. How could something be so beautiful? Even though the sun was scorching, why could I stand here and watch for so long? My bag was heavy, why did I rush to grab my camera and take a picture? Why didn't the camera bother me anymore? This is the feeling I received, and I cherish it deeply. From now on, there will be no more text to distract you. Just enjoy the images to your heart's content.

The path to the Lion's Head, or Lion's Head, is led by the officer!! And the straight path is the origin of the Golden Grassland.

As the sun sets, the atmosphere becomes incredibly pleasant.

As the sky began to darken, the first thing I wanted to try was not cooking, but rather, my first attempt at photographing stars. Let's do this!

After the first camera battery died, it was time for dinner. We ate quickly and went to sleep, hoping to see a sea of fog and sunlight filtering through the mountains the next morning. However, we were disappointed not to find any fog, as it had rained heavily during the night and there was a lot of dew. The photos we got were like this:

This young woman is a new friend I met on this trip.

The incident occurred while my friends and I were taking playful photos together. As we were posing, this younger individual approached and began taking photos from the same angle. My friend then remarked,

Friend: Are you alone?

Young woman: Turning to smile, she replied, "The fog is beautiful. Did you manage to capture anything? It's all white!"

He: I'm a little confused because I didn't say hello. Haha, okay, that's fine. Do you play the camera too? Did you see the stars last night? Then I showed my sister a picture of my stars. Haha.

Young woman: "Excuse me, could I please take a picture with you? I'd love to have a photo, but my camera isn't good enough. It's just a compact camera."

I can send it to you. Let's use Facebook.

Friend: What's your Facebook? I'll add you.

This marks the beginning of a friendly relationship, not necessarily close, but amicable nonetheless.

My younger sister's name is Neng Pan. I've been calling her Neng for so long, haha!

The review is complete, but I would like to make a suggestion.

Pan, a nature enthusiast, frequently joins my friend's outings, even more than I do! I wonder why my free time never seems to align with theirs. Haha.

My friend, the one who sparked my passion for nature-based travel and helped me overcome many of my fears, is now organizing regular budget-friendly trips. These trips are cost-free, with participants bringing their own supplies and simply enjoying the experience together. Notably, my friend is the owner of the popular "Sergeant Takes You on a Trip" page.

This is me, Number6 or TK. Uh, skip it, haha. Just a guy who likes to travel, nothing special.

We've been friends for 20 years. Even though 14 years have passed, our friendship remains the same. Truly,
"My trip leader / guide / driver / friend"

Before concluding this review, I would like to leave you with a final thought, as I always do…

Traveling is truly living. This experience has taught me that firsthand. For example, this trip was my first, and if I hadn't decided to embark on it, I would never have been able to overcome my fear. I believe that everyone has fears, but if we have a greater goal, nothing can stop us.

Oh, and one more thing! I don't think that traveling is frivolous or a waste of money. It depends on how we use it, how we travel, and what we get out of it. Number6 thanks you.