ONE YEAR LATER and so much has changed in the world, but the lessons that I learned climbing Kilimanjaro have helped me survive the pandemic of 2020. First, ‘Pole Pole’ will get you there in the end and second, sometimes it is better not to know what is ahead before you do something.
Each step was slow. I kept taking smaller and smaller steps and going slower and slower, but I eventually made it to the very top of Kilimanjaro! Our guides reminding us that the way to the top was to go ‘Pole Pole’.
‘Pole Pole’ means slowly, slowly in Swahili (rhymes with guacamole) and the higher we climbed, they no longer had to remind me to go ‘Pole Pole’. I just automatically slowed down.