One of the most memorable stops was Namche Bazaar at 3,400 meters, where we spent a day acclimatizing. Exploring Khumjung Village and visiting the statue of Tenzing Norgay, the first Sherpa to summit Everest, left me in awe of the people who call these mountains home.

By the time we reached 5,400 meters, close to EBC, the landscape had completely transformed. There were no signs of life, just rocks and snow. Witnessing my first snowfall at this altitude felt surreal, a magical gift from the mountain. The temperature hovered around freezing during the day, but at night it plunged to -10°C, making sleep almost impossible. I found myself dreaming of warmth, of returning to normal life. Yet now, all I want is to go back—back to the snow, the challenge, and the beauty of it all.

^{This November, our Teaching and Learning team was invited to the Vietnam Education Innovation Recognition Day 2024-2025 at Hoang Viet Private School, Buon Me Thuot. Organized by Inter Edu, this is one of the largest annual events for the Microsoft Teaching Community. Held at the impressive Hoang Viet School, the event gathered over 1,200 Microsoft Innovative Education Experts, 18 Showcase Schools, and 5 Incubator Schools. Centered on the theme "Teaching and Learning with AI," it showcased educators' and students' creative use of Microsoft tools, alongside the commitment of K-12 leaders and teachers on their digitalization journey to promote inclusive and equitable education. We were inspired by the rapid progress of the K-12 community in adopting AI and transforming practices with Microsoft apps. We are also proud to celebrate Mr. Khanh’s recognition as a "Microsoft Innovative Education Expert", and highly appreciate his continuous efforts in connecting our team and our university with broader educational community.}