Day 2: Meet with mountain guides for safety briefing and gear check

I just realized the date.  July 4th. A day that celebrates the freedom that others fought to give us. The peak of Kilimanjaro is called Uhuru peak, which is the Swahili word for freedom. Sometimes freedom is given and sometimes freedom is earned, but it’s never easy.

Most African proverbs are difficult for me to understand. There is one, though, that i think about often. Sometimes in gratitude and sometimes in frustration, it’s truth always rings true: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” As I was sweating through my last workout, worrying about my (lack of) training, I felt God remind me of that proverb. I don’t need to climb this mountain fast, and I am not climbing alone. Together, we hope to go far...all the way to the top of Kilimanjaro. 

Tonight we will try to settle all the racing thoughts and jumbled emotions long enough to sleep. Tomorrow we begin our climb. You may not be with us physically, but I suppose each of us are on a long walk to freedom. Hopefully, thankfully, TOGETHER.

JOURNAL ENTRY BY LAUREN EDENS