POEM: Strive Kenya ‘22
Nothing builds excitement quite like 20 hours on two flights,
Or the smiling face of Noah greeting us at the hotel at midnight.
A trip into Nairobi for lunch to find extra gear,
Two necklaces ripped off my neck jolted some fear.
Sparks of excitement ignited back at the hotel,
Over happy hour introductions and reconnecting those who know each other well.
Tariq and Noah kicked off the event to set out on a mission,
To summit Mount Kenya with a Strive expedition.
The Strivers cheered with elation and clapped with joy,
Like horses caged in a pen we were ready to deploy.
~
Day 1’s on-time departure to head to the park gate,
Miraculously in this group, nobody was late.
A 3-hour caravan to our first stop for tea,
It is believed only one car didn’t stop once for a pee!
Another car was full of tiny bladders for sure,
They stopped twice and also peed in the vehicle twice more!
By the time we arrived to start the trek,
Rain was pouring down and the road was a muddy wreck.
Arrived to the park gate for lunch we did dine,
Sandwiches, quiche and salads were simply divine.
Our first trek traversed a landscape of moss covered trees,
Arrived at a magical campsite, our eyes it did please.
~
Day 2 we embarked on a 6 hour walk,
With beautiful flora surrounding great talks.
We stopped for a 3300 meter break,
Before heading to a waterfall for a swim some would take.
Up up we go to the second camp,
Walking in hail and freezing rain got us quite damp.
We arrive to Lake Ellis at 3500 meters,
All wet and cold and praying for a heater.
We all broke for tea and sang live songs,
Thanks to Patrick and Sam for leading us along.
Then a Big Education group talk and conversation,
Passionate breakouts led to great ideation.
This group of incredible all-stars continues to impress,
Not only their brains but hearts of gold, no less.
~
We woke to sunshine, hip hip hurray!An Al fresco breakfast to start a long day. A beautiful walk with “fake summits” that tease,Along a ridge we had a refreshing chilled breeze.Alas a hilltop lunch so energy doesn’t wane,Complete with a Sir Richard massage train. We continued through a wild rocky terrain,And down a muddy slippery ridge that was INSANE!We made it to camp 3 with cheers and high fives,Sam led afternoon yoga and that’s how we Strive!An amazing day topped off with singing and a full moon!Plus Luke’s Theragun treats for most of the room!A cold night to bed overlooking a moonlit lake,These are the memories we collectively make. ~dRise and shine to the glorious sun!
Another hard uphill trek upon us, oh what fun!
Our tribe’s support for each other quickly grew,
Philosophical Freddie called it “harambee”, so true for this crew!
Such accomplishment thus far, emotions are rising,
My eyes welled up already which was surprising.
Early to bed for a 3:30 wake,
Our last big push for the summit we’ll take!
We wake to a majestic clear sky,
The moon was highlighting the summit for our eyes.
We began at 4:30 for our final ascent,
In lock step we traveled away from our tent.
The horizon put on a show of magnificent hues,
The sunrise lit up the path as we all took our cues.
The climb was steep with some patches of ice,
The culminating stretch was a metal ladder, a surprise and quite nice.
From the top of Mount Kenya we scream aloud!
A summit we strived for and stood on so proud!
What a joyous moment we shared at the peak,
At 5,000 meters we reached in less than a week.
Now downward we must, it’s time to descend,
It was quite the journey to get to the end.
We trampled through mud, rivers and rocks,
With tired bodies and soggy wet socks.
Again, harambee takes effect and we finish together,
We lucked out again with the forecasted weather.
~We go home with pride and a smile we beam.
As we conclude, I don’t know where to start,
Thank you everyone from the bottom of my heart.
For Noah’s great pleasure, let’s end with one last cheer,
Yell it loudly, proudly so everyone can hear!
When I say WE you say STRIVE!
We…STRIVE!
We…STRIVE!
