At 8:03 AM, my hotel room phone rang once. I jumped up out of my bed at the sound as I woke from a dead sleep.

Why is an alarm going off? What time is it? Where am I?

I quickly realized it was the bedside phone buzzing and that someone must have accidentally called my room. I oriented to the fact I was in my hotel room in Tanzania and that it was Sunday, our last day here before we depart for our climb. And as I laid there, rubbing my eyes with my head still on the pillow, I thought to myself, there are no accidents in this life. I smiled as I thought about the fact that thanks to that phone call, I would have 27 extra minutes this morning to wake up “pole pole” and spend some time reflecting and journaling on the days that have passed since my arrival...which is exactly what I did.

After a nice outdoor breakfast with some of the team, we met up at 10 AM to be briefed on what lay ahead for the day, and most importantly, what lay ahead for tomorrow and the coming days as we begin our journey to ascend and descend Mount Kilimanjaro.

Freddie was there along with Frederick. We also had the gift of meeting another guide that will climb with us, Wilfred. I thought to myself how if I forgot anyone’s name, I’d go with some version of Fred and probably be OK...Until we were told that our final guide, Augustine, would be joining us tomorrow morning before we departed for the Londorrosi Gate where we would begin our trek to Big Tree camp.

As the guides shared with us a brief overview of each day, they reminded us several times not to worry about remembering the details of each and every day of the climb as we would all be meeting each evening for tea before dinner and we would be briefed on what to wear, the weather, and the route for the day following, along with having one of our two daily health checks done by the guides.

One day at a time they reminded us. One day at a time.

As I listened, at times I felt overwhelmed with emotion realizing THIS IS IT. Tomorrow we truly begin. Tomorrow we meet this beautiful mountain. But the ENTIRE time, I felt safe. I felt in good hands. I felt TRUST in our guides.

We later learned that our guides typically average two climbs a month. However, in the last year due to Covid, they have been on only two climbs. Our trip will be their third in the last year.

Devastating.

Our guides and our entire crew depend on these trips for their income. They rely on these climbs to provide for their families and extended families.

I feel so blessed that our team has been able to make it to Tanzania, to join together, to experience this journey as a group, and that we are able to, in some small way, make a large impact for our guides and their families.

We also learned that this climb will make for Wilfred’s 246th summit of Kilimanjaro and Fredericks 396th! If anyone knows this mountain, it is our guides. This mountain flows through their veins and lives in their hearts.

After our briefing, we had a full gear check. Freddie accompanied me to my room where I had been asked to lay out all of my gear for the climb. He started by asking me, “What will you wear when it rains?” I replied, “I have my rain pants, rain shell, and my poncho.”

“OK”, he said.

“Do you have fleece pants and can I see those please?”

“Yes. Here they are.”

“OK”, said Freddie.

And on we went, back and forth, to ensure I had every piece of gear I may need and that it was appropriate.

I did.

Freddie shared that for tomorrow, I may want my gaiters depending how wet the trail head seems so to pack those in my day pack, along with 3L of water, snacks, sunscreen, a hat, a fleece, a small first aid kit, any medications I would need, and all of my rain gear since there is a high chance of rains on our first leg.

Check.

We finished up gear check and I packed up my life for the next eight days into my waterproof duffel and my day pack.

The rest of the day we toured the town of Moshi, visited shops and the local market, enjoyed a leisurely lunch together, swam in the pool, and then relaxed before our final dinner.

The local market was full of beautiful, colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables, bags full of various grains, small kitchen and household items, and even live chickens for sale. Many things I didn’t recognize and so I asked our guides here and there what is that? What is this? Once I thought I was looking at a bag full of mushrooms, but was told that whatever the item was (I can’t pronounce it or spell it!), it was medicinal in nature, used for all kinds of illness here.

The fresh foods were like heaven to my eyes and the thought of plant medicines at my fingertips was just awesome!

Just before we were going to head to dinner, there was a knock on my door and my teammate, Christina, from Pennsylvania, was telling me that the clouds had passed and Kilimanjaro was in full view from the balcony.

I couldn’t make my way up fast enough to lay eyes on her for the very first time.

As I rounded the final corner and ascended the final flight of stairs, I was blessed by the sound of the Islamic Call to Prayer, something I had never heard live, coming from the nearby mosque now in sight. I will never forget that moment. It was like my spiritual team was right there waiting for me on the top balcony.

And then, as if my spiritual team could possibly give me more, I turned my head to the left and there she was, an orange hue from the sunset against her white, snow-capped peaks...Mount Kilimanjaro.

My God.

Hello beautiful.

I announced to my team right then and there as I stared in awe of her beauty, “I’m going to be so emotional on this trip...”. And then the tears fell. Tears of overwhelm. Tears of absolutely magnificent beauty. Tears of happiness. Tears of honor. Tears for “our village” that was built back home by each of you, supporting this journey, myself, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

To have this opportunity and this blessing to be here, right here and now, is something I can not put words around.

Tomorrow, as we begin our climb, know that you are with me. Know that the Flag of Honor is on my back, in my pack, for the next eight days to the summit and back. And know that I am safe, loved, and supported in the hands of my team, our crew, and our guides...my “family” here in Tanzania...as I embark on the most outstanding journey of my life.

I will likely go silent on this blog until we descend.

Until then...Hakuna Matata❤️