On this day 10 years ago, I summitted Mt. Fuji in Japan, only hours after landing from the USA. I planned it to coincide with the Japanese holiday O-Bon (お盆) on 8/15 and during a full moon. I hiked alone through the night, using only the full moon for light, arriving at the summit at 2:02 am. I was the first person there and picked out a nice spot to see the sunrise. Great experience and I'm looking forward to doing it again soon.

It was significant for me because I had been suffering from the flu the week before I traveled. I didn't dare to eat or drink anything before starting up the mountain. I felt drained of energy due to the long flight, the lack of sleep and the sickness... but I had prepared for a few months for this hike and I wasn't going to be denied.

There's an old Japanese phrase that states, "A fool won't climb it even once, but only a fool climbs it twice." ( in Japanese: 一度も登らぬ馬鹿に、二度登る馬鹿)