What You Don’t See in the Photos

She looked effortless in the summit picture—arms raised, a wide grin, snow-capped peaks behind her. I double-tapped, then sighed.

I had just come back from my own trek, where I felt like the weakest in my group. Where every incline made me question why I was here. Where I cried, not from the view, but from exhaustion and self-doubt.

No one posts that part.

A week later, I spoke to someone who had done the same trek. “It was brutal,” she admitted. “I almost turned back.”

I stared at her, surprised. Her photos had told a different story. Just like mine did.

Everyone struggles beyond their photos. Everyone has moments they don’t post. The doubt, the pain, the part where they almost give up.

But they keep going. And maybe that’s the part that matters most.