Greg S. Reid - Off the Coast of Zanzibar: Coming of Age for a Second Time

The plane landed at 9:40 p.m. at Kilimanjaro Airport. Karl Patrick, of average height and less than copious hair, walked off the plane. The breeze warmed his face and the feeling could only be described as one thing--Africa.

His assembly of hikers circled around. Most of them matched their profile picture of the group he signed up with to climb. He moved his way into the cluster with ease, reminding himself that while he appeared to be in decent shape, he would need to keep his own pace. After giving himself permission to just be, he introduced himself to the other eight hikers, maintaining the intention that it was more about the travel than the arrival.

Fans flurried above his head as he made his way behind the others through immigration. It was hot. He wondered for a moment, if he should rush ahead, but instead he brought himself back to the moment and enjoyed watching his climbing mates ahead. He thought of Liz back at home with their son. This was Jakes last summer at home before university. Their only son would soon be fleeing the nest. That thought alone increased the intensity of the heat as it rose from the wood floors. Karls mind hummed a song as he prepared himself for the next five days. On his way to the baggage claim area, as the group separated to hunt for their own belongings, he felt the solitude and darkness magnify and he questioned his reasoning for including this adventure on his bucket list. Did anyone else feel the same isolation in the air? Or was this just another fear?

He retrieved his luggage and entered the van that awaited the hikers and one of the porters who came along to welcome them. He smiled and attempted brief moments of small chat, but mostly felt content or at least safe in his silence. He listened to the hikers tell stories of their children, their home life and what they did for a living. Most of them seemed adequately satisfied with their lives this far. They asked the older Tanzanian driver endless questions of their surroundings and they asked the porter to reassure them of their training. Karl had very little training except for vigorous hikes along the local trails in his hometown of Coos Bay, in the Portland metropolitan area where his well-known and reputable engineering firm was located. Over the years, strategic partnerships, school involvement and charities were woven into the life he created with his family.

The drivers broken English and the darkness of the road brought a yearning to hold his wife at home in their bed. But, the donkeys alongside the road and the people who walked with them renewed his excitement. The adventure had begun whether Karl was yet committed to it or not.

While the others agreed to gather for a midnight African beer, Karl spent his last night before the climb with his book and journal. Karl had certainly read excellent books in his life. Of these, a few stood out as hallmarks of learning, and repositories of wisdom. He always carried at least one with him. In its time, each book enabled him to develop and distinguish his personal life, business, as well as his business acumen, over the years and each book served as a reminder of where he was and how he got there.

The room had an aged wood smell. Karl set down his bags and looked around the room. The dresser resembled an antique like the kind his grandmother would have in the guest room. He walked to the bathroom and glimpsed himself in the mirror. This was it. He stretched his tired body into the semi-comfortable reclining chair and considered his life journey thus far and how he made it to this moment today and how he would make it through the coming days. The climb. He observed himself as a reflection of the books hes read and the people he has met, all of which carried messages that impacted his life. He pulled out a fresh brown leather tied journal and opened it up. He bent it around to give it more flexibility and imagined how nimble it might be by the end of this trip.

Here it was. The biggest physical feat he had yet attempted. Part of him felt satisfied enough with what he had seen to turn back, grab the next flight out and go home to his family. The other part of him felt ecstatic to make the phone call to Liz, to announce, I did it, baby. He wanted to make more of those phone calls and he knew that feeling well.

Should he mingle with the other hikers? Maybe. But, there was peace in the small, pinkish colored hotel room and he wanted to savor the moments leading up to his first and last dreams before he embarked.

The others seemed so calm along the ride. He didnt catch all of their names. He wondered if they are nervous like him. Did they hide it well? There was fear within him, but it was accompanied by fearless adrenaline. He had experienced this feeling before. Be it a physical venture or business venture, the feeling remained the same. Holy crap! What was he about to do? Did he have any business at all taking on such a climb? Most of these people have done some sort of a climb before. Or at least he gathered as much from the car ride to the hotel. What were their names again? He felt like a complete novice. Then he remembered one thing he brought that he could use and leave at the hotel to pass on to someone else. His indispensable guide, Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. He knew he would need it. Right now it served as a reminder. A go get em speech. Of all times, he needed to remember his minds capacity to understand and relate with people. It was the something that had held him back and when given the right attention was the means to his victories. It was a skill that needed improvement and it was the bigger reason of this climbs importance. Think and Grow Rich was the book that enabled him to regard new philosophies of principles where he could transcend his hang-ups about success and learn how to achieve the goals he most desired. Climbing Kilimanjaro was, indeed, a goal he most desired. After all, it was on his bucket list.