Last night while I rested, my head was overflowing with dreams. They all seemed so real that until I woke, I was sure they were.

I dreamt that I was in a car with my friend Kellie. We were on our way home from a girls weekend away, and when I went to grab something from the back seat while she drove, I realized the back seat was covered in her clothes from the weekend, all just strewn about. And then right there in the middle of it all was this giant rubber glove. It was the glove that stayed hidden in our toilet tent, in a small secret pocket on the wall, that I imagine the toilet man used when cleaning the Bank of America.

How the fuck and why the fuck is this glove randomly in my dream?!?

Next, I was in line at a department store in the mall buying chocolates for a gift...at least I think they were a gift. I turned around while I was waiting and there was Donovan, one of the owners of Embark Exploration Co., the outfitter that planned this trip. I’ve never met him in real life, but I know what he looks like from Zoom calls we have all had. The guy in my dream wasn’t even him...but it was...because dreams have a funny way of doing that. So I said to him “Oh my God! So funny meeting you here! Thanks so much for planning our climb!” and then turned around and it was my turn to pay.

Why the hell would I wait in line at a department store to buy chocolates of all things...and where did fake/real Donovan come from?!?

Then, I dreamt that I was getting a massage at a spa somewhere. The masseuse was rubbing my back and I was so relaxed and she asked me what I was doing later to which I replied, “I’m going to summit Mount Kilimanjaro tonight. I actually need to get back to the mountain soon. How much longer?”

I was so calm and matter of fact sharing my plans.

Finally, I dreamt that our guide, Augustine, was standing behind me, his arms wrapped around me like a big hug from behind. He was just hugging me and breathing and telling me that all we have to do is simply breathe and we will be able to reach the summit, just like that, so simple. As we breathed together the scenery completely changed and he and I were flying over the ocean in Maine together, so peacefully, just enjoying the views below.

When I awoke this morning, after my coffee had arrived and I’d gotten ready for the day, Augustine knocked on my tent for my health check. As the pulse oximeter read pulse 72, oxygen saturation 93%, I shared my dream with him and smiled. He told me it was just the Gods telling me that I am safe and protected...and that the ocean was then telling me not to worry, I’d get to take a shower at the end of all this! We both laughed so hard at that piece of his interpretation, but the former piece stayed with me. Here I was, repeating to myself multiple times a day that I am safe, I am loved, I am guided...and here was Augustine sharing his interpretation of a portion of my dream to mean the same exact thing. It surely left me feeling ready for the day ahead and the summit which we would begin this evening.

Before we depart the Karanga camp for the day, I make my way to the camp sign for my morning ritual of spreading my sand, making my offering to the mountain, and repeating my daily affirmation three times. The sun is shining brightly above and all feels right in the world.

My friend Christina and I talk about how we have been feeling an overwhelming sense of calm and peace this entire journey. About how, despite being in such an unknown environment with so many unknowns at every turn, we have felt no anxiety, no sense of urgency, no feeling of ever being rushed. What a strange yet perfect way to feel on this journey...feeling calm, feeling peaceful, feeling like I have been exactly where I’m meant to be every step of the way. This morning I feel wrapped in the arms of the angels, zero fear and all the love the Universe could offer one single human.

Augustine leads us on our hike which will be just about 2.4 miles this morning. We will arrive before lunch at base camp, the Barafu Camp, sitting at 15,200 feet. This will be the same elevation that our bodies met at the Lava Tower on day four of this journey. I am hopeful my body will remember that elevation and feel good while we are there. I am hopeful that my breath will come easy.

As we leave camp, I realize we are hiking 2.4 miles directly up today, which makes sense given the elevation gain, but living in my “one moment at a time” world, I hadn’t given it much thought before my feet started moving.

Very shortly after we begin, we step into the clouds, the temperature drops, and a chill hits the air. I leave my puffy down jacket ok for the majority of our hike today. This is the first time I’ve felt I needed it all day.

We hike slower than a snail crawls, and nobody complains. We all welcome the pace, especially today. Despite our morning hike being short, we are climbing back to 15,200 feet. Additionally, once we arrive at base camp, we begin the waiting game to begin our summit tonight. Our hike this morning may be shorter in distance but we are all aware that we have a long night ahead and hours more to climb to get to the summit.

Slow and steady absolutely wins the race in our current world.

We are hiking today in Alpine Desert which is immediately apparent when we step foot out of the Karanga Camp. As I look around, the word that keeps coming to mind is “wasteland”. There are some really large rocks, some with hanging moss that looks like it’s from another world entirely. There is very minimal low lying vegetation. There is a lot of dirt. And there is a ton of shale like rock... these flat pieces just piled here and there, sometimes teetering as you step from one pile to the next.

We take several short breaks this morning, but one in particular stands out to me. The area feels equally beautiful and sacred as it does creepy. As far as the eye can see is a field of cairns, one rock pile followed by the next and the next and the next. Some team members begin to build their own cairn, like a marker to say “I was here”, and I think about each rock I am seeing having been placed just so by someone, some person, some individual, who was on their own journey to the summit, leaving their own mark along the way.

How many humans have traveled this same path? How were they feeling in this moment, in this place? Did they make it to the top and back down?

I add one rock, like an offering, to one cairn as we pass through and then blow it a kiss and continue moving forward. It feels like we are walking on the Moon, the piles of shale grinding below our feet as we step.

The clouds begin to thicken, the temperature drops again, the winds pick up, and a light rain, almost ice or snow like at times, begins to fall. We are approximately one hour from base camp, tents barely visible, like little green ants in the distance. We stop and put on all of our rain gear as well as our rain covers on our packs. Wet gear at this altitude in these temperatures would not bode well for the summit that rests in our future.

We have been so blessed with beautiful, warm sunshine each and every day leading up to this moment. We talk about how this is the first real weather we have experienced on the mountain and how grateful we are to have had such perfect conditions. Amazing really considering the group we met at our hotel before leaving that had summitted the week before us experienced rain...every. single. day. They didn’t even have a view from the summit. Just rain and ice and snow and clouds.

I think to myself what a miracle it is that we, just one week later, have needed sunscreen and wide brimmed hats every single day to avoid a sunburn. That we have seen for miles and miles at every camp. That we have worn minimal layers until just now, until just this moment.

Hello Mount Kilimanjaro. We are here and you are letting us know that this is YOUR space, not ours. We are just visitors at your mercy.

Our final steep ascent to base camp at Barafu Camp is full of small switchbacks littered with piles of shale and loose rock. Every step is up and my feet teeter several times on the loose rock so I quickly learn to use my poles to feel out what lies ahead before I take each step.

When we began the final ascent, we could see tents, but just a few steps in, the ascent being so steep, the only thing within view is rock so I keep my head down and simply follow the feet in front of me, one step at a time, trusting that before I know it, we will have arrived. And that we do. Base camp comes into site once again. We spot the camp sign, identifying to us all that we have arrived.

Part one of day six is complete. We are up in the clouds. The weather is cold, windy, and there are periods of light rain mixed with a small window of sleet...and then just like that, sunshine once again.

I have seen heart rocks the entire climb today, but I haven’t been counting because I am saving my brain power for the summit tonight. Also, just seeing them at this point in the journey is enough. Additionally, today I was gifted seven rocks shaped just like angels that seemed to be perfectly placed so that I couldn’t possibly miss them along my path. At one point I showed my team mate one of those angel rocks just to be sure I wasn’t losing my damn mind, and sure as shit, she agreed it was in fact shaped like an angel. I am simply amazed that I continue to receive these signs from the Universe, from my entire spiritual team, to remind me that I am safe, I am loved, and I am sure as hell guided.

Before we head to “the sea of Nemo tents”, as Jeff calls them, we snap a group photo at the camp sign. This will be our final resting point before we begin to summit. For the very first time, things begin to feel like they’re slightly speeding up. Like before we know it this will all be over. But for now, we are here. The summit feels so extremely close, yet still so far away.

We have only about fifteen minutes to settle in to our tent and spread out our gear before lunch is served. The sun is shining brightly, unexpectedly turning our tents into saunas at this altitude. The feeling of warmth is welcomed though after the cold ascent to camp this morning.

The weather on the mountain can change at the drop of a dime. Always be prepared, our guides remind us.

Lunch is outstanding today. We are served an avocado sandwich, fresh vegetable soup, hot tea, a zucchini dumpling, and warm pasta noodles with a tasty red sauce. As we all inhale our food, knowing we need the fuel for the long journey ahead, we laugh at one another as forks are dropped, soup is spilled, words are delayed coming out, and more....Hello altitude!!!

Wilfred shares with us that after our lunch we will have about three hours to rest in our tents before our gear check at 5:00 PM. I feel ready to try and rest and I feel thankful that another set of eyes will be on my gear before we begin to summit. He continues, letting us know that after the guides check our gear, dinner will be served at 6:00 PM. At that time, we will be briefed on our approach for the final ascent to the summit.

Following dinner, we will once again return to our tents to rest until we are awoken at 10:30 PM to dress and then have a light “breakfast” at 11:00 PM...one final fueling for our bodies.

At 11:30 PM, we will begin our ascent to the ultimate destination, Uhuru Peak, the summit, standing at 19,341 feet on top of the world. We will have our guides, each other, and our head lamps to guide us through the dark night as we climb. We should reach Uhuru Peak sometime around 7:30 AM, shortly after sunrise.

But first, we will eat. We will rest. We will eat again. We will rest again. And then we will eat once more before we begin our pilgrimage to the top.

I am comforted by the fact that we summit, for the most part, in the dark. It reminds me of super early morning training runs when I was preparing for marathons, leaving well before sunrise, my head lamp allowing me to only see so far in front of me, no warning to my body of an upcoming challenge or hill. It’s familiar and I’d rather not know. I’d rather lead with my mind and let my body feel the climb, the hills, the challenges, as they come.

As we leave lunch and head to our tents for our first round of rest, I see clear as day Mount Mawenzi directly in front of us and a large cloud shaped just like an angel. I ask Jeff if he sees it too. I ask if it looks like an angel. He does and it does.

I stare in awe as tears fill my eyes in this moment. I am reminded to simply believe. I am reminded to trust the process. I am reminded that this Universe gives us exactly what we need, EXACTLY when we need it. My entire being is reminded that I am exactly where I am meant to be.

I have envisioned the summit for over a year now, and I know right here and right now, that vision WILL become reality.

I am safe. I am loved. I am guided.

I can’t wait to bring you all on my journey to the top that begins in less than nine hours. But for now, my body and mind need all the rest I can find at 15,200 feet, high above the clouds, so close to heaven I can taste it.