Chapter 14: Final Thoughts

“Nature is one of the most underutilized treasures in life.  It has the power to unburden hearts and reconnect to that inner place of peace.”

(Janice Anderson)

If I can do it, you can do it.  If you set it as a goal, and train hard, and stay positive, you can successfully climb to the Roof of Africa.

I have learned a thing or two about setting and achieving goals in my short 38 years on this beautiful earth.  One of the very first things I have learned is that we all are free to dream as big as we want.  We are free to set goals as high as we want and as challenging as we want.  Because we own our goals.  They belong to no one else, but ourselves.

Another thing I learned while chasing after my goals is that it is okay to ask for help.  I have never achieved a goal all by myself.  I have always had help along the way.  Whether I received help from family members, friends, teachers, coaches, or complete strangers, someone helped guide me on my journey.  Climbing to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro would not have been possible without all of the people you saw in the pictures and videos in the previous thirteen chapters of this blog.

Every member of my hiking team, including our guides and porters, shared the common goal of climbing to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.  We worked together, we struggled together, we listened to each other, and therefore, we understood each other.  And that is why every member of our hiking group made it to the roof of Africa.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was the single most amazing experience of my life.  It was emotionally, mentally, and physically challenging.  It was everything I wanted in an adventure.  I proved to myself that I could accomplish anything if I worked hard enough.  Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro inspired me to think positively, and have a renewed love for nature.  It also gave me inspiration to climb more mountains.  Although I have not climbed any more mountains since climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, I plan on climbing other mountains in the near future.  I have learned that I really enjoy setting and accomplishing long term goals.

I found what I was searching for during my journey on Mount Kilimanjaro.  I found the positive power of the human spirit.  I found internal peace.