Climb for Hospice

I’m going to have to admit it to you all sometime, and there’s no time like the present…

I’m going through some serious emotions right now. Culture shock, withdrawal, depression… my brother calls it the ‘Travel Hangover’, and that’s pretty damn apt.

I’m trying to keep my emotional head above (potable) water, and that means I’m taking small steps to integrate myself back into Ladner Life. I’m finding things to be very overwhelming. I went to the grocery store yesterday and had to leave because I felt this weird ‘trapped’ feeling. I went back later on when there were less people, and was able to get what I needed. Funny, I come back from a country populated with about 43,000, 000 people and yet I feel surrounded while in a Canadian grocery store with about 30 other people in it.

People say that going to Africa changes their lives. I can now understand that statement. I always thought it was a silly, emotional thing to say, but when you leave a piece of your heart with Africa, and she gives a piece of her heart to you, there’s a connection there. It’s just… different. I know that everyone reading this who has been to Africa is nodding in agreement right now.

I have edited my photos, and look forward to sharing them with you. However, I am also waiting for Ali and Christopher to return so that we can swap photos, and then I’ll have more to share.

Ali and I also did short video diaries after each day on the mountain, and I’m uploading those now. I haven’t seen them yet, so it’ll be interesting to go back in time a bit… you know, before Mt. Kilimanjaro kicked my ass! I think the diaries are fairly tame, though I do remember swearing quite profoundly in one of them.

Funny, I was prepared to climb the mountain, but not come back down.

So… I know I’m taking my sweet time with this, and I want to thank you for being so patient with me…

Or should I say asante sana.

xo