Twenty years ago, I had a dream that I would climb Kilimanjaro. On 13 July, 2022 at 11 AM, I summited the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, the Roof of Africa, Uhuru Peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, 5895m!! For the most part, Kilimanjaro has been easy — nicely laid out trails, gradual inclines, steady pace, trekking for no more than 6 to 7 hours a day. All great, save for Summit night which started at 11 PM. This was the most horrific experience of my life. It literally, felt like a page out of Dante's Inferno. There were so many real moments when I truly wanted to quit.

Julia and Shemon have been living as expats in Mombasa, Kenya since 2012. They run a car importing business together.