Kilimanjaro, Africa [1]

Tanzania, Africa - (July 22 - Aug 2)

Ernest Hemingway envisioned his heaven as one of utter bliss and incomprehensible beauty, the one he could only find in the snows of Kilimanjaro. His novel may have been a fictitious story, but his vision was far from being just a dream.

19, 344 is certainly a daunting number and 7 days is a long time to "experience the sublime of Mother Nature." But by the time I found myself at the bottom of the mountain a week later, standing before the trailhead, I wanted to do it all over again.

Our team of 15 had awaken at 12 AM two nights before to climb for 8 hours in the dark under the glowing full moon. Armed with our goo and shotblocks, we put one tired foot in front of the other. Nearby, two of our six Tanzanian guides looking out for our safety as they sang beautiful African melodies, lyrical and soothing. They kept me going. As we approached Stella Point at 6 AM, the sun was just peeking over the horizon, its rays spreading warmly across the chilly sky.

Gorgeous, isn't it?

Another hour or so brought us to the highest point in Africa. Glaciers towering nearby, snow crunching below our feet, and the clouds swirling below us. The sun was glistening off the surrounding white. I could feel the presence of something far greater than me and I finally understood what Hemingway had so eloquently put in words.

Adrenaline of a Lifetime

The next 10 days - exciting and terrifying. Despite the four different stops our flight will take before arriving at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, I can't wait to see what awaits me on the other side.

I've always loved adventure and this trip will bring me: mountain climbing, safari, and who knows what else! A foreign land, a foreign people, a foreign culture. So much to learn and so much to capture.

I'll be sure to write down every thought, notion, experience and to snap pictures of every image but I'm sure nothing will ever amount to being there in the moment. Wish me luck and I hope to bring you a snippet or two from the highest point of Africa :)

Oh Summer

Summer love, beach, and friends: nothing cheers your heart or clears your mind like a day with the bestest of friends. From basking in the lovely sun while munching on watermelon and cherries to singing Justin Bieber on the sidewalk in the dead of night, a Sunday on the beach and at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk will always be unforgettable. As I lay on my towel in a tangle of tanning legs and dear friendship, I couldn't help but love how much we've changed in the years we've grown together.

As my friend, Andrew, sagaciously said, "Let's make some Kodak memories!" and although he was attempting to be jocular, there was quite a lot of truth to his words.

It's hard to imagine we'll soon be seniors, graduates, alumni. Going off in different directions, leading different lives, and changing the world in so many different ways. But even when we go our separate ways, it'll be hard to forget the class of 2011.

Oh, and don't forget our elderly reunion as retirees at the nearby nursing home!

It's All about the Pose

The gentle rocking of the waves
The rough push and pull of the currents
The warm water in my cupped hands as I paddle
The wind playing with the tips of my hair
The sunlight glinting,
The friendly blueness inviting,
The seawater spraying,

It was the perfect day, the perfect life.

Dear Gatsby,

I can't fall asleep because I'm afraid I will dream. Don't get me wrong - dreams are lovely. Sometimes I fly in my dreams, swim in the deepest of oceans, or dream of this peaceful darkness with stars winking high above my head. But then, there are those seemingly realistic ones that scare me the most because I don't want to mix up my fantasy and my reality.

Dreams make you do things you'd usually never do - they snatch you right out of your comfort zone. They give you this courage that blossoms from your chest and makes your heart thump with such power, leaving you weak with emotion. They make you smile even wider, walk a little taller, hold your head a bit higher. And sometimes, I want those kinds of dreams never to end.

But you showed me the line, the invisible one. The one that stops the pragmatic dreamers from jumping off the cliff but remains hidden from the heart-filled fools who take just one more step.

And the worst part is, I'm both.

You were better than all the rest. Nick was right; you were innocent, wistful, and your very downfall was the best part about you. You and I share something in common: "an extraordinary gift for hope." Some say hoping isn't wise and inevitably, leads to disappointment, but I disagree. Life is all about hope, it's about striving, it's about keeping that green light in your mind's eye.

Perhaps I can fall asleep at ease now, knowing that in the end, reality is its own kind of dream.

Thank you,

Kristi

Banana?

ABC (American Born Chinese) – That’s what one lady called me, almost teasingly after hearing blatant American accent in my stumbling Mandarin. My cousin threw me a grimace, bargained for me, and away I went with a happy purchase in one hand but a sickly feeling in my stomach.

I looked exactly like everyone else in the teeming night market: tan skin, long black hair, and curious ebony eyes. We all crowd stalls of trinkets, shoes, food, and clothing, trying to snag the cheapest prices. We all love to drink sugarcane water and eat almond jello. But I was not like them, and I felt like a stranger in a foreign world with a face that just happened to blend in.

As I see those uniformed teens going home late at night on mopeds and the cute Asian couples that dot the streets in the wee hours of the morning, I wonder to myself, Wow, life here is so much freer than mine. Today in the U.S, parents are extremely reluctant to allow their children out of the house alone at 9 o’clock, let alone 1 AM. The sense of safety and trust that pervades Taiwan is shocking – it’s almost like this little country has created its own bubble, shielded from the looming horrors of the outside world.

For four straight days, I delighted myself in the delicacies of my ancestral culture: dumplings, rice porridge, sesame mochi, egg rolls, fried rice, and so much more. I wandered through the small stores crammed with jewelry, scarves, and obnoxiously loud salespeople. I learned how to call my own taxi and direct him to my destination with smooth Chinese. Yet, all the while, I felt drawn to the emanating American brands of McDonald’s or Starbucks Coffee just around the corner.

It’s like straddling the fence, a fence dividing two very different cultures. One cultivated through the centuries with the rise and fall of empires; the other built on diversity, opportunity, and freedom. These thoughts came rushing into my mind as I stood in the subway, watching hordes of Chinese people of all ages swarm around me. It's like seeing life through two lenses. For all we know, every "truth" has two sides to it, and I, for one, love seeing both.