I had forgotten what quiet was like. True quiet, not the muffled quiet of closed windows in an old building or a car ride with no radio... Quiet that catches you so off guard that you simply stop, eyes closed, realizing that you spend your life in a state of utter chaos. And then, as if in response to your realization, rolling thunder that literally stops your heart for a moment and forces you to look up at the massive sky, reminded that you are truly insignificant. And yet, there you are, one of 6.7 billion humans, and somehow you're the only person on this mountain, at least for as far as your eyes can see. And the fact that you were chosen to experience this, even for only 5 minutes, is the reminder you've been looking for that you have never really been alone.