Halfway up Dead Women's Pass, lungs screaming, legs jelly. I'm hunched over my trekking poles when this guy appears beside me. "First time?" he asks, not even breathing hard. I nod, too winded to speak. "Peru will break you before it builds you back up," he says, then hands me his water bottle without asking if I need it. I did need it. We walked the rest of the pass together in silence. At the top, he pointed to Machu Picchu's direction and said, "Tomorrow you'll understand why today mattered." Never got his name. Never needed to. Sometimes the people who appear when you're at your lowest teach you the most about who you really are. 🏔️ #Travel #IncaTrail #TrekkingTruth