I set to the summit on August 14. The 4km walk from 0230hrs was one of the most peaceful moments since I lost him. He became part of that journey, and we had some interesting conversations along the way, made a few jokes—I even found myself smiling in between catching my breath and using my hands to walk. At that moment, I realized he will always be with me and always be in my life. ❤ I will always have my journey up Mt. Kenya to remember him by.
In truth, nobody looked like me, and that was daunting. I was bigger, slower, weaker, and this intimidated me. So when I came across this [Beginner to Mt. Kenya] program, I was on the agenda to conquer myself, my fears, my body, and, most importantly, my mind.
I returned to Mt. Kenya precisely one month since my last failed attempt. I was on a mission to deliver a clear message to my epilepsy: I was no longer afraid of it, and I was not going to let it win.
By walking this journey, I hoped to conquer my fears — to be more carefree and enjoy the outdoors. I knew the high altitude and inadequate sleep, coupled with the long walks during the day, might trigger seizures. Yet, I did it anyway.
My family and friends expressed concerns about how I would make it for hikes, granted I needed to travel more than 600km every other weekend from Malindi, where I live and work. However, I was all fired up already and could see myself on the great outdoors taking on every other mountain life threw my way!
When I came across the #beginnertomtkenya program, I had never hiked a day in my life and had always been looking for a challenge that was out of my comfort zone. I thought to myself, why not! Maybe I would even have fun while at it.
I am from a seven-year lull of life — feeling lost and numb and not even knowing myself. I couldn’t even answer the question, “Who are you?” I decided to do something about it in December last year.
When I chanced upon the #beginnertomtkenya program and signed up, I thought I was crazy. My friends thought I was crazy. I had never been active most of my life, let alone setting my feet on a hiking trail.
Last year I lost a dear friend who had become family; it hit me hard, as I had never experienced death so close. It made me realize how fragile life is: that someone could be here and well today then gone tomorrow. The loss made me want to live my life fully and do the things I have always wanted to do — as long as I have the will and means.
The Mt. Kenya experience is still surreal. The experience was magical, beautiful, and HARD!