The Buckleys in Nepal.
“When my dad asked, I didn’t even have to think about it. It was the opportunity of a
lifetime. It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” she says.
The trip to Mount Everest presented numerous unexpected challenges. Upon arrival, the
party learned that there had been a plane crash in Kathmandu. Weather conditions kept the
travelers in the Kathmandu airport for 6 to 8 hours a day for three days straight. After the
third day, their guide decided to charter a helicopter to fly Buckley’s family and two family
friends, as well as five other hikers, to base camp. Because the helicopter could only take six
passengers at a time, the arrival at base camp was delayed even further. By the time they had
all arrived, they had only 11 days to cover the 100 miles on their itinerary.
“It was very different than what we expected, but it was still quite an awesome
experience,” says Asia.
Prior to her trip to Nepal, she had traveled
to France and Monaco on a class trip in the
summer of 2012. Then, in December of
2014—two years after the Everest trek— the
Buckleys journeyed to Antarctica. For that
trip, they flew from Pittsburgh to Atlanta
to Buenos Aires and finally to the Ushuaia
airport in Argentina. After spending a few
days in Tierra del Fuego, they boarded a
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