Originally posted March 8, 2017 on wanderlisa

I’m currently in New York City but my heart is in Tanzania. It’s hard to believe that exactly a year ago, on March 8, 2016, International Women’s Day, I reached the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, along with a group of 22 women, organized through WHOA Travel. It was hands-down one of the best experiences of my life, and also one of the hardest.

I metaphorically carry that mountain with me every day – not as a weight that pushes me down, but as a strength that lifts me up. Whenever I’m having a hard day I say to myself “I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. I can get through this.”

I think about Kilimanjaro all the time. It’s one of my proudest accomplishments, and when I reflect on it I smile. It was so hard. SO HARD. But I made it. And I met an incredible network of women through WHOA Travel, and we all have a special bond now from sharing this tough experience.

I would climb Kilimanjaro again in a heartbeat if I had the time and the money. I’m not sure when I’ll conquer that mountain again, but I definitely will one day.

I’ve been inspiring a lot of my friends to want to climb Kilimanjaro. You can do it!*

*if you’re able-bodied, in decent shape, and don’t have asthma