GREAT JOB NEWS

So I have been absolutely M.I.A. from Passports & Pearls for the past month and for that I apologize! SO very much has happened since my last post. Let me give you a brief update on my life over the past month....

First and foremost, my thesis went over fantastic and I was able to graduate from the Honors College at the University of South Carolina. Thank you all so much for following Passports & Pearls and helping me to achieve my goal of graduating with honors!

Second, I graduated from the University of South Carolina! I can barely believe it...Where have the past four years gone? Graduation was absolutely wonderful and perfect in every way. My whole family came into town-my mom, dad, brother (Michael), and sister (Caitlin), as well as my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. It was a full house but I was so overwhelmed with happiness by having all of my family there to support me on my big day. Walking across the stage I was slightly nervous I would trip and fall but more than anything, I was so proud and happy of my achievement. It was almost surreal!

After graduation, I headed back to Atlanta for Mother's Day to appreciate the best mom in the world, Pam!

After staying in Atlanta for a few days, I headed back to Columbia so that I could pack up my apartment to move out. While we were back in Columbia, I did perhaps one of the craziest things I have ever done in my entire life: skydiving. Yes, you heard me correct. I jumped out of a plane. It was one of the scariest things I have done in my entire life but I'm glad I did it once. It was certainly something to check off my bucket list!

After skydiving, I spent a few days packing up my apartment to move out of Columbia. It was so strange to think that this time I would leave Columbia and not know the next time I would be back. Columbia, South Carolina would no longer be my home. It will now be the place that I visit friends and my brother...it will be the place I return to and reminisce on my memories of college...it will be where I return to connect with my fellow Gamecocks. I was incredibly sad as I drove down the highway away from Columbia indefinitely. I absolutely cannot wait until I come back to Columbia to see the people I love and the school I love! I hope it's sooner rather than later...

After moving out of my apartment, I celebrated my 22nd birthday! Very exciting? I guess...Not as exciting as turning 21 but I got to celebrate with my family which was wonderful. My Aunt Cyndie gave me a fuzzy blue crown to wear so that was fabulous.

The time with family was well spent, especially with my mom and sister who I don't get to see very often. I also had the opportunity to hang out with some good friends from high school, Michael and Paige, while I was home as well. After two weeks at home I made a big move...well maybe not super big-only eight hours technically-down to Orlando, Florida. This brings me to my next announcement, what I will be doing for the next six months...

I will be interning for Walt Disney World as the International Travel Industry Sales Intern! I am absolutely thrilled about this opportunity as it combines two of my favorite things: Disney and traveling! I have my first day of work today so cross your fingers everything that goes well!

Now that the craziness of graduation, moving, moving again, and starting a job has passed, I plan on writing regularly! Keep checking in to see my reflections on traveling, my adventures as a Disney intern, and my musings on Orlando, the various beaches in Florida, and whatever other things I get into! 

My family :)

All of my extended family came for graduation!

Skydiving!

Friends at my birthday lunch

Mount Kilimanjaro Video

So I know this is overdue but I have been working on it for the past week to make it good. Drum roll please....



I'd love to know you thoughts and comments on this video! Any parts you loved? Anything you didn't?

Thesis Thursday

Travel can be one of the most rewarding forms of introspection. ~Lawrence Durrell

As part of the process to graduate from the University of South Carolina Honors College this May I have to complete a senior thesis project. The project can be about anything of my choosing which is both a gift and a curse.

For a long time I really struggled with finding a topic for my thesis. With the freedom and flexibility to do my thesis about absolutely anything, it was difficult to narrow down topics. While I initially struggled with selecting a topic, as soon as I began hiking Kilimanjaro I knew that the whole experience would be my thesis topic.

My thesis focuses on two main things: reflecting about my hike to the summit of Kilimanjaro and providing detailed information about my experience hiking Kilimanjaro to others. First I wanted to look at the experience introspectively to identify what hiking Kilimanjaro meant to me in terms of a learning experience.

Second, I wanted to share this experience on a large scale which is why I opted to incorporate a blog into the thesis process. Hopefully this blog will help anyone considering hiking Kili or anyone who is planning their Kilimanjaro adventure with the preparation process and with what to expect.

Also I have found a love for blogging. I look forward to continuing to blog about my travel experiences. Summer of 2009 I spent five weeks in Spain, four of which were in Barcelona. Right before hiking Kilimanjaro I spent several days in London and two and a half weeks in Tanzania. Fall of this past year I took several weekend trips, one of which was to Asheville, North Carolina. Already since I began this blog I have been on a ski trip to Colorado and a spring break trip to Walt Disney World and Naples, Florida. I love to travel and want to continue sharing my trips and travel opportunities with others through this blog.

In the process of working on this thesis I have learned a lot. Tomorrow’s post will be about my reflections on the hike overall and what I feel I learned throughout the whole process.

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 6

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. ~Dr. Seuss

Waking up at 6:30 was rough. I was groggy, exhausted, physically worn out, and the absolute last thing I wanted to do was get up and hike some more.

Despite not being hungry at all, I had a couple bites of eggs and toast to satisfy my appetite for the next few hours. While I was really apprehensive about the food going into the trip, I’m really going to miss the food we ate on Kilimanjaro because it was so good.

I’m even going to miss the trips Rakhi and I took to the wooded areas to go to the bathroom. Rakhi called some of them a “loo with a view” which I thought was hilarious.

We began the final leg of our hike at 7:20 AM. Aaron and Arnold hiked ahead to arrive at the gate first and organize our travel arrangements back to Arusha and the airport. Rakhi, Daniel, and I hiked at a slower pace because we were in physical pain from the downhill hiking.

As we hiked along through the rainforest it seemed as though we had come full circle back to the first day of our hike. We had beautiful scenery the whole way down but also had to deal with a muddy trail.

By the time we made it to the gate it was 11:20 AM. There aren’t enough words to begin to describe how happy and relieved I was when we got there. My motivation for getting down the mountain was receiving my summit certificate and a long, hot shower.

When Arnold gave me the certificate saying I had reached Uhuru Peak, I was elated. It’s definitely going to be framed as soon as possible so I can hang it somewhere I will see it every day. 

While I was super happy about receiving my certificate, sadness crept in when I had to say goodbye to three new friends: Rakhi, Arnold, and Aaron. Saying I’m going to miss Rakhi is a huge understatement. What a blessing it was to have her added to our group at the last minute. The companionship of having another girl on the hike was such a bonding experience. As for Arnold, I don’t know if we’ll ever meet again. I told him if I come to Tanzania in the future I am going to visit him.

When they left to head back to Arusha, I was alone in a day room at a hotel waiting for my 9 PM flight. It was the first time in almost a month being by myself. What a strange feeling. It was too quiet for my liking. I used the time to decompress, repack all of my belongings, and rest before my long plane ride.

Hiking through the rain forest with my attractive gaiters

Rain forest scenery

Our group with all of the crew at the gate!

Saying goodbye to Rakhi

Arnold giving me my certificate-I'm ecstatic in this picture but looking a little rough

My certificate!!!

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 5: Summit Day! (part 3)

There, ahead, all he could see, as wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun, was the square top of Kilimanjaro. And then he knew that there was where he was going ~Ernest Hemingway, The Snows Of Kilimanjaro

Pure joy. Happiness. Ecstasy. Pride. Bliss. Satisfaction. Elation. These are just a few words to try and describe reaching the summit. To a certain extent, I don’t know if it can be fully described. Maybe it’s best that way. There’s just an unspoken, indescribable magic about reaching the summit that can only be fully understood through experiencing it for yourself.

Immediately upon arriving I gave Rakhi and Aaron big hugs of congratulations and gave Arnold and Daniel hugs of gratitude. Shortly after that a photo shoot began so we could capture in picture our achievement. 

The best moment was taking a picture with the sign at the summit that says “Uhuru Peak, Tanzania, 5895 M. Africa’s Highest Point, World’s Highest Free-standing Mountain.” Every step that brought me to the summit, that sign was in the back of my mind. Every time the hike was difficult or I didn’t know if I would make it, I would think of that sign. It was my motivation and a right of passage for all those who trek Kilimanjaro.

I am so proud of myself for taking on this challenge and succeeding. I know that this experience is something I will forever be proud to tell people I accomplished. Standing on top of Kilimanjaro has made me feel so alive and purposeful. I feel ready and am excited to check more things off my “bucket list.”

Our time at the summit was short lived. We were only allowed to stay twenty minutes due to the altitude. After drinking my celebratory Coca-Cola I left the summit feeling content with life.

I thought that going down would be easy compared to hiking up Kili. I was proven wrong big time. As we were hiking down I was overwhelmed with exhaustion. Honestly, I could have rolled down the hill and been perfectly fine with it. Rakhi actually did fall a few times coming down the mountain. And Aaron had to be held up by Arnold and Daniel coming down the mountain because he was still sick from the altitude. 

It took us about three and a half hours to hike down from the summit back to Millennium Camp. As soon as we arrived at 1:30 PM, we were given an hour and a half to rest and nap if we wanted to. 

I used the first thirty minutes to decompress. I felt like I had just been through such an ordeal. My face felt burnt and chapped from the sun and high winds. My eyes would not stop watering because they were so irritated from the wind and all the dirt that had blown into them. My body and muscles ache to the extreme. My ankles and knees feel like someone has been kicking them continuously. I have never felt joint pain this bad in my whole life. 

More than all of the physical pain combined, I was mentally and emotionally drained. The mix of emotions and intensity of emotions I felt was ridiculous. I was beyond ecstatic to have made it to the summit, proud of myself, weary from the hike, stressed from the physical pain, and a little bit sad it was over.

Sleeping for an hour was the best thing I could have done for myself. I woke up still in pain and feeling emotional, but it was much less than before I had gone to sleep. At 4 PM we ate a quick lunch of soup and crackers. 

Quickly we packed up our camp in order to hike to the final camp in daylight. The porters aren’t supposed to be in transit at night because they don’t have headlamps which makes the hike very dangerous. Arnold had told us earlier that around ten people die on Kilimanjaro every year and mostly they are porters. 

As soon as the camp was packed up we left Millennium Camp. It took us longer than it should have to get there because the sun had set and we were forced to hike in the dark. Hiking this leg in the dark was pretty difficult because there were a lot of large, slick rocks than we had to climb down off of.

Fortunately after about three and a half hours of hiking, we made it to the next camp. We immediately sat down and had a dinner of rice, white beans, vegetables, and coconut sauce. Food has never tasted so good. 

After eating we had a celebratory champagne toast with our whole group including Arnold, Daniel, and the porters. It definitely made me sad to think that our adventure together had almost come to an end. Come tomorrow I’d be on my way home to the States. But before that I still had to finish getting down the mountain.

Glaciers

Hiking over the ice

Above the clouds, in front of the glaciers

Uhuru Peak, Tanzania sign!

Rakhi, Me, & Aaron in fron of the summit sign

Me in front of the summit sign

Representing USC-GO GAMECOCKS!!

Me doing the spur-GO GAMECOCKS- & Daniel doing the Kilimanjaro sign

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 5: Summit Day! (part 2)

Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” ~Mark Jenkins

Our goal was to try and make it to the summit by sunrise. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The path to the summit was crowded with people trying to make it to the top and because it’s narrow you can only hike as fast as the person in front of you. People were definitely living the “pole pole” (“slowly, slowly”) Kilimanjaro phrase for this leg of the hike.

Along the way we encountered man people who were sick from the altitude. The severity of symptoms ranged from people with headaches to people with bloody noses to people curled over vomiting. Seeing people intensely sick from the altitude made me nervous and Arnold telling me it was incredibly common made me scared I would be next.

Two and a half hours from the summit was when the hike began to take its toll on me. The frigid cold made it difficult to keep moving continuously, even though that is the only way to stay even slightly warm. Every seven to ten minutes our group would stop for a quick break because we were exhausted. Less breathable oxygen in the air due to the extreme altitude was most certainly the cause of our exhaustion. 

When we stopped for breaks Arnold and Daniel would force us to drink water or hot chocolate that he brought in his pack. He would also take off our gloves and try to warm up our hands as well because they were practically numb. The last two hours of the hike Arnold gave me one of his jackets to wear because I was shivering uncontrollably. 

On top of feeling numb and freezing cold, my headlamp battery burned out. Arnold took my by the arm and guided me up the mountain because I couldn’t see for myself. I have never been more thankful for having Arnold as a guide. He was so dependable, caring, and determined to help us to the summit. Without him I don’t know if our group would have even made it this far.

By 5 o’clock in the morning I was consumed with the thought of the sun rising. I could not think of anything else. To me, the sun rising meant warmth and that was all I wanted in that moment. 

The sun rose between 6:15 and 6:30 and I have never seen such a stunning sunrise. There is nothing so beautiful as witnessing a sunrise at 18,000 feet from the side of a mountain where the clouds can’t even block your view. Unfortunately even when the sun did rise, the temperature was still incredibly low. 

I was so out of breath by this point I started to question if I was going to make it to the summit. Every two steps I took, I would be gasping for air. My chest was tight. It was scary how downhill my physical condition had gone. 

Arnold and Daniel supported Aaron, Rakhi and I. They traded turns allowing me to grasp their arm to stabilize myself. More importantly they gave us words of encouragement and continually reminded us how close we were. 

As soon as we came over the crest of Gilman’s point, I found the nearest rock and laid down on it. Although I was happy to have made it this far, I was shivered uncontrollably and couldn’t feel my toes or fingers. Arnold and Rakhi worried for me, and kept adding layers of clothing on me. Rakhi went so far as to force feed me five or six bites of an energy bar even though the last thing I wanted to do was eat anything.

It was then that Arnold told our group I was on-set hypothermic and I shouldn’t go to the summit and needed to go down immediately. Uhuru peak was another 1000 feet which would take us 45 minutes, and he wasn’t sure I should attempt the trek.

Being told I wasn’t going to be able to go to the summit and get a picture with the Uhuru peak sign was all the motivation I needed to get up and finish the hike.

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 3

Since there is nothing so well worth having as friends, never lose a chance to make them. ~Francesco Guicciardini

Today has been my favorite day so far.  We woke again at 7:30 from really strong winds whipping against the tent. We ate the same breakfast as yesterday and set off hiking by 9 AM.

The first two hours of the hike were over an open plain so the wind was really intense. The first four hours of the hike were uphill and the last two hours were downhill.

Today while hiking I actually felt really good and not short of breath. The energy definitely helped the morale of the group and was quite entertaining for Rakhi, Arnold, and Aaron. I was in a very sing-songy mood and sang-talked often which one of my best friends Elizabeth would appreciate. Arnold taught us a Kilimanjaro song that I’ll be sure to add in later posts.

One cool lookout point today, Lava Tower, was at an elevation of 15,100 feet. Most people begin to experience symptoms of altitude sickness around 13,800 feet so today’s leg of the hike was meant to acclimatize us. The downhill stint of the hike was much more difficult than I expected and was really hard on my ankles and knees.

Over the six hours we hiked, Rakhi, Aaron and I had a good life chat about life experience, relationships, and the lot. Although I was nervous about not knowing Aaron that well and not knowing Rakhi at all, I am so happy to have gotten to know them. Rakhi and I get along especially well because we’re always joking and laughing.

We arrived at Baranco Camp at 4:30 PM. Instantly I like Baranco camp much better than last night’s because it is in a bit of a valley and the wind is blocked. The sunset made the sky light up with brilliant blues, purples, pinks, and oranges. 

Before dinner I “bathed” using shower gel and wet wipes. Not exactly a steamy, hot shower like the ones I’m used to at home but it will work for a week.

I was starving for dinner and was incredibly satisfied by carrot soup, bread, and pasta with cheese and minced red meat. I was pleasantly surprised by pineapple was for dessert as it’s one of my favorite fruits. I’d say this has been my favorite food we’ve been fed thus far.

Laying down to go to sleep, I realized my face, nose, and hands hurt from either windburn or sunburn. I’ve been using SPF 50 because the UVA/UVB rays are so strong at this altitude so I’m thinking windburn is the culprit. 

I’ve started a list of things to look forward to for when I get back home.

          -Being really lazy for a few days

          -Getting a manicure and pedicure

          -Catching up on the Bachelor (my guilty pleasure)

          -Eating Mexican food (for some strange reason I’ve been craving it)

          -Sleeping on a comfy bed and taking a proper shower

Although I’ve got a few things to look forward to, I’ve still got a lot of work to do to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Leaving day 2 camp

Me with Kili in the background

Me in front of Lava Tower

 It was slightly windy & cold hiking down from Lava Tower

Me, Rakhi, & Aaron on the trail

Looking up at Lava Tower

Weird plant-tree things on Kili

The summit of Kilimanjaro in the distance

Sunset from camp

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 2

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~Mark Twain

 

Wake up call this morning came pretty early. Around six o’clock the porters from the various camps began working to prepare breakfast and take down the camps. The sound of their voices woke me and after an hour of tossing and turning I got up.

Last night I slept pretty soundly considering I took my malaria medication and it usually makes me nauseous. This is my fourth week taking the Mefloquin so maybe my body has adjusted to it. 

The other thing that kept me from deep sleep was sleeping on an incline. I guess that’s the disadvantage to camping on a mountainside though.

Breakfast never tasted so good because I was starving from so much physical activity the day before. We ate eggs, toast, fruit jam, sausage, porridge, and bananas for breakfast. Quickly after eating we packed up our bags and we on the more by nine o’clock.

Today’s hike was 2,625 feet and it was all uphill on large rocks. It was definitely different than hiking through the rainforest. About 650 feet into the hike at an elevation of 10,500 feet we were above cloud level. Incredible does not even begin to describe the view of the mountain and sky. From that elevation we could see Mount Meru, the second tallest mountain in Tanzania. 

Along the hike we stopped at various points where the view was particularly beautiful to take in the scenery. The awesome scenery is definitely a testament to why the Machame route is one of the best, even if it the “Whiskey Route.” 

We arrived at Shira Cave at 2 PM after our porters. The porters are pretty amazing considering they leave camp after us in the morning so they can pack camp up and they arrive at the next camp before us to have it set up. Some of the porters literally run up the mountain which is unreal to me because I go at such a slow pace.

Arnold our guide has taught our group the Tanzanian phrase “pole pole” which means “slowly slowly.” He says because of the altitude and the rigorous activity the key to getting to the summit without getting ill is reminding ourselves to go “pole pole.”

For lunch at camp we ate grilled tomato and cheese sandwiches, leeks soup, chicken and oranges. Again I ate as much as possible because the amount of physical activity is making me super hungry. Dinner consisted of pancakes, cucumber soup, peanuts, rice, and beef with coconut sauce. I steered clear of the cauliflower and green beans because even though I was hungry, I draw the line at eating things that I am not at all a fan of. 

With temperatures in the mid 40’s, the strong winds make it feel like it’s in the 30’s out. Now that we’re above cloud level the stars are incredible. Arnold told us that on summit night the stars will seem so close we can reach out and grab them. I’m pretty excited to experience the stars that way because at home there is so much ambient light I don’t get to see them like that often.

As I lay there of course I couldn’t help but think of how I missed my family. As of tomorrow I won’t have seen them for three weeks. I know my family, especially my mom, is worrying about me this week as I can’t be in touch with them to tell them I’m doing well.

Although I’m missing my family, friends, and my yellow lab Bella a lot, I know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. If you were me wouldn’t you try to enjoy and experience fully each moment? I'm so excited to be checking this off my bucket list soon!

On the trail

On the trail looking down the hill

Mount Meru in the distance

Aaron on the trail

Arnold and me

Aaron, me, & Rakhi pausing to take pictures on the hike

Giving Aaron a sympathy hug for being a Clemson fan. GO GAMECOCKS!

Me with the summit in the distance

Above the clouds

Rakhi at the nicest bathroom on all of Kilimanjaro

Our camp for night 2

Just after sunset

Hiking Kilimanjaro Day 1 (part 2)

Adventure is out there! ~Up!

Five hours later at an elevation of 9,840 feet, our group made it to Machame hut, which is the first camp. Our five hour trek consisted of about four hours of hiking, a 30 minute lunch break and other small stops that accumulated to 30 minutes. 

To say I was super tired was an understatement. Though my adrenaline from excitement kept me motivated, the first day of hiking was physically challenging for certain. Almost the entirety of the hike was uphill with certain stints being very steep. If one thing is for certain, my legs and buns better be toned when this is all said and done.

The hiking we did today was through the rainforest that is at the base of Kilimanjaro. And while the surroundings were pretty to look at, the mud we traipsed through was not as appreciated. With waterfalls and beautiful flowers unique to Kilimanjaro, I took in the scenery to distract myself from the burning sensation of climbing stairs like on a Stairmaster machine. 

Aside from having sore legs, my right ankle aches (I have a bad right ankle) so I plan on wearing an ace brace tomorrow for extra support. I’m sure my ankle would hurt a lot more had I not had the walking pole for support. It provided a way of stabilizing myself when the ground was slick from mud and wet, mossy rocks. 

Relief and accomplishment are two things I feel right now. I feel relieved that a portion of the journey is completed and I know a little bit of what to expect for the next several days. I’m still nervous about getting sick from the altitude and I’m worried I’m not quite physically prepared enough.

Thankfully, Arnold eased my anxiety by telling me the oldest person he has guided to the summit was 68 years old. If a person of that age can get to the top of this mountain then that’s pretty good motivation for me to get there. While Arnold shared stories about his many treks, we ate a quick snack of coffee, hot chocolate, and kettle corn. 

After snacking, Rakhi and I went in search of the bathroom. The closest thing we found to a bathroom was a rickety, wooden shack that served as an outhouse. Hesitantly, I used my foot to push the door upon. Big mistake. I about fainted from the wretched smell that crept out of the shack and immediately, Rakhi and I booked it to the woods.

On our way back from the woods, I took in the camp and those around us. By this time, night was beginning to fall and everyone staying at the camp had arrived for the evening. Around us were people from all over the world including other Americans, people from Britain, Russia, Sweden, Peru, South Africa, Indonesia, Canada, Italy, and Holland to name a few. Although everyone was from different parts of the world, the one thing each camp was listening to on the radio were the World Cup games.

We listened to one of the games and chatted about Tanzania, London and America while eating dinner . Why was I ever nervous about what I would be eating on the trek? The food was delicious! We dined on a meal of zucchini soup, potatoes, bread, vegetables with coconut sauce, and breaded Tilapia. Sweet Tanzanian bananas were our dessert and they were just what I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth. 

Laying in my sleeping bag in the tent next to Rakhi, I was exhausted. Today was a great start to this adventure and I am excited for tomorrow’s journey.

Our group getting ready to leave at the Machame gate

Me hiking through the rainforest

Upward climb on the stairs almost the whole way

Daniel and Arnold pausing for a break

Mud made the path slick

Aaron and Rakhi resting for a bit

The Kilimanjaro flower

Aaron, me, and Rakhi at the Machame hut

Rakhi and me at our tent, affectionately nicknamed the Puma/Cub Tent

One of the goofiest pictures of the trip