Hurry, Boy, she’s waiting there for you… –Toto, Africa
Click here for a hilarious quick read about how Toto’s ode to Africa became such an unlikely and enduring hit.
My Guy, my eldest son, and my brother-in-law are winging their way across the world on an incredible adventure: they are on their way to Tanzania to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
They left at zero-dark-thirty this morning after no more than a few hours’ sleep, the man-child having left his packing to late the night before departure. The packing list consulted and triple-checked, we think they each have everything they will need and, if not, they’ll have to share.
In the midst of last night’s commotion, BIL asked me how I felt about their endeavor. Honestly, I’m stoked for them. Guy has wanted to make this trek for 20 years, having met their tour leader that long ago. Of the Seven Summits (the tallest peak on each of the seven continents), Kili requires the least technical skill, making it the easiest and only (or gateway) climb for many. This trip functions as my guys’ birthday party, celebrating in spectacular fashion 50 and 21 trips around the sun.
My travelers are avid outdoors-men and they have, each in their own way, trained for this experience: trail running, hiking, cranking the treadmill to maximum incline while wearing an oxygen-limiting/altitude-simulating mask. They’re as ready as they’ll ever be for the challenge that awaits them.
I am not in the least bit jealous, as I have no desire to push my body to the limit to climb straight up a tall mountain. Not my flavor of jam, not at all. I am, however, thrilled for them for so many reasons. For the shared memory-making. The physical effort and (hopefully) accomplishment, fulfilling a goal they’ve anticipated and worked toward. The myriad experiences of a new culture, sights and sounds, smells and tastes. The people they will meet, those native to Africa and fellow travelers. I anticipate they will come home changed, filled to overflowing with new joys and experiences.
I would love to share the time they will have on safari post-summit, but that will wait for another trip. Meanwhile, I will pray for their safety as I run an endurance race on the home front, making sure the dogs get exercised and fed, and the younger son gets to school on time with homework in hand. Tougher than it sounds, some days, but we’ve trained for this, too.
What adventures would you like to undertake? Personally, I’m hoping for a walking tour somewhere in the world in the next few years.
Feature image credit: Cindy Outlaw, group leader, taken Monday, January 6, 2020
Kendra and Jim climbed it before kids, and Mt Meru too. Jim had bad altitude sickness whichkind of spoiled the celebrations…
Altitude sickness is definitely a concern. From what I understand, they’ll go slowly to give their bodies time to adjust, but you just can’t know how anybody will fare until it happens.