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From Suite to Tent: What Made Accommodations Memorable in Jordan

19 July 2013 by Raul 17 Comments

Throughout all my travels, I have experienced different types of accommodations. A rented apartment in Tuscany, Krakow, Paris and Sofia. No-frills basic hotels in Stone Town, Moshi, Aswan and Brasov. Bed & breakfasts in Sonoma, the Dordogne, and Tavistock. Middle-of-the-road hotels in Reston, Stellenbosch and Venice. Top-of-the-line in Santiago de Chile, Mykonos, Boca Raton, and Washington D.C. And a camping tent in Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The type of place I stay at is not happenstance – though staying at a youth hostel in my very late 30s in Oslo was due to no hotels being available for my business trip… quite the experience! I select the type of place I stay at based on many factors, such as:

am I going solo or with others
nature of the trip (business or personal)
am I staying in one place for the most part or roaming
what I want to spend,
what am I looking to experience in this vacation (I may only need a bed or I may want to enjoy a royal experience in my lodging).

But seldom do I experience many types of lodging in one trip. And that’s exactly what I did in my recent trip to Jordan. My trip to Jordan confirmed for me that that special something is what makes accommodations truly enjoyable and memorable (which is just as important as enjoying them at the moment!) regardless of the type of accommodation.

Here are the places I stayed at and why they each became as memorable a part of my trip as the many of the sights and sites I got to see in awesome Jordan.

Standard nice hotel

I got to continue my Marriott stays quite accidentally (as I did not have a hand in choosing this time), in both Amman and Petra. Marriotts give you that standard feel that provides continuity for the very frequent traveler who moves around towns and hotels. I can count on standard amenities, service and comfort in these.

The Amman Marriott first surprises because it feels like it is in the middle of a neighborhood. Then you have to go through security – and odd thing but one that I am sure they do to keep me safe and unconcerned. I felt both. The restaurant offers a great breakfast buffet. The outdoor pool area is spacious enough but there is ALSO an indoor pool and and jacuzzi so something for everyone’s water preferences. The hallways in the room floors feel very luxurious and the rooms are nicer than the regular Marriott I have experienced and I separate this from the room I actually got which was an upgrade due to my Platinum Elite status with the chain: I got quite a nice suite!!!

Marriott Amman Jordan lobby photo Canon EOS Rebel

Amman Marriott: A great lobby to hang out and read your paper

The Petra Marriott is a smaller hotel than the one in Amman – but what it lacks in size (no executive lounge, for example) it makes up for in the view. The hotel faces the mountains around Petra from a high vantage point which makes it a great place to watch sunset as well! The breakfast buffet was also smaller when compared to the Amman one and the staff not as “going out of their way” but it was still a good breakfast.

Lobby area

Atrium

Beautiful sunset looking towards the mountains by Petra

Sunset view towards Petra and the hotel’s pool area

Clearly the view from the Petra Marriott made it most memorable but that feeling of arriving at a “second home”-type of place was also pretty darn cool.

Roughing it in a camp

One night we actually “roughed” it at Camp Rummana in the Dana Biosphere Reserve where one can see nature at its best is this part of Jordan. I put rough in quote because, though sleeping in a tent and using a common bathroom facility are not high-styling it, these tents beat the tent I slept in while climbing Kilimanjaro for sure. The tents were spacious and they had mattresses on the ground. There was a common bathroom facility (a hike away if you woke up in the middle of the night and “had to go”) with showers and also a dining area where we had our meals. Closer to the sleeping tents, was a set of large tents to hang out after dinner before bedtime – true to the Bedouin way.

Inside of a tent in Camp Rummana in the Dana Biosphere Reserve Olympus

A mattress and the basics

tents, Rummana camp, Jordan, Dana Biosphere Reserve

The sleeping tent area of the Rummana camp

Dining area in Camp Rummana in Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan

The dining area. No, he is not a giant.

Nothing like being so close to nature to make a place memorable and the Rummana Camp definitely connected me with the great setting.

An ecolodge

After the hike through the Dana-Feynan canyon, we arrived exhausted at the Feynan Ecolodge, right in the heart of the Dana Biosphere Reserve. It has been rated one of the world’s top 50 ecolodges by National Geographic’s Adventure magazine. A partnership between the Royal Conservation Society of Jordan and EcoHotels, this lodge seeks to fit in not only with the terrain but also by respecting the local traditions and culture and providing the opportunity for an economic livelihood for the locals of the area. There is a LOT that is done right by this ecolodge, so remote from main roads and anything urban yet surrounded by some incredible landscapes and skies as well as by the welcoming Bedouins of the area.

The ecolodge as one approaches it – unassuming!

Feynan is an ecolodge which means little or no electricity available (you can re-charge your device on one of two power outlets in the lobby) which is tough but, at the same time, we are too connected some times so maybe this is a good break? It also means it only offers vegetarian fare as meat would require refrigeration. But the food was delicious and quite diverse much to my surprise! The rooms are very nice; no frills but nice. Each has its own bathroom. Oh and water is free – straight from a mineral spring so it is safe to drink! Now, if it is a hot time of the year, know that the rooms have no fans or A/C (of course) – but you are here for the adventure, right? Finally, it also has a rooftop telescope – a great place to explore the skies at night.

Room at Feynan Ecolodge in Jordan's Dana Biosphere Reserve Olympus

Room at the ecolodge

Earthen jar or pitcher in the Feynan Ecolodge - mineral watier

Earthen pitcher of mineral water awaits in the room

The ability to get close to the locals without being taken to a “shop” definitely made the Feynan Ecolodge quite memorable to me as was the interesting sunset I got to watch.

A place with an experience

After exploring the Wadi Rum by pick-up truck well into the evening, we arrived at a Captain’s Desert Private Camp to spend the night. But it was not just to have dinner and spend the night. There was to be music and more of a soirée experience. The tents were different than the Rummana Camp‘s but no worse, no better. There was a nice area to have dinner and hang out, and, in fact, some folks opted to sleep there under the stars. What was really cool about this place was that it was nested in canyon walls and it was beautiful in the morning.

Captain desert camp in the Wadi Rum, Jordan

Tents in Captain’s Desert Camp

Hanging out at the camp

The Bedouin experience and the setting made the Captain’s Desert Camp quite a memorable place to stay. I wish I had been feeling 100% that night to enjoy it more!

A hideaway

We got to stay at this hideaway two times each for one night. The Evason Ma’in Six Senses hotel may have some details to work out, mainly in its managerial/front office efforts, but the place is in an idyllic and very secluded setting. Further, it provides great comfort in its rooms, offers great views, and is around hot springs that offer great relaxation.

Room at the Evason Ma'in Six Senses hotel in Jordan

Room. Really like the wooden shutter doors and spacious comfort

Lobby of the Evason Ma'in Six Senses hotel in Jordan

Lobby area

Detail of the lobby area

The uniqueness of the setting and the proximity and relative isolation of the hot springs as well as the inviting rooms made this place a memorable part of my trip.

And the “living-it-up” resort

My last night in Jordan was by the Dead Sea, where great resorts are located. I stayed at the Mövenpick, a 5-star resort with a great view, a great offering in terms of food and fun, and an interesting design whether in architectural details or in the concept itself.

Movepick resort Dead Sea Jordan luxury comfort

Incredible details in the decorations at the main entrance

The room was not as luxurious as I would have expected but it was comfortable and spacious for sure.

The hotel grounds had several pools including one only for adults (closest to the Dead Sea).

Pools Movenpick hotel resort Dead Sea Jordan Olympus

One of the all-ages pool overlooking the Dead Sea

The main hotel building had many different areas to lounge in with very nice decorations and details. The restaurant was outstanding in the diversity and quality of the buffet it offered for dinner and breakfast.

Room

Lounge Movenpick resort by the Dead Sea in Jordan Olympus

One of the many sitting areas

At night there was an area that offered music and belly dancing without the corniness typically associated with belly dancing in the U.S. (where there HAS to be audience participation); you could just really appreciate the art form here without worrying you were going to be called upon to make a fool of yourself…

Movenpick Dead Sea Jordan resort outdoor Olympus

Outdoor area for drinks and entertainment in the evening

What made this place the most memorable was the amazing sunset I got to live through and watch…

Sunset Dead Sea pool Movenpick resort Jordan amazing awesome infinity Olympus photo

The lowest of the pools, closest to the Dead Sea during a GREAT sunset

Glorious, eh?

Sunset Dead Sea birds tree Jordan Canon EOS Rebel, photo

Is this a sunset scene or what??!!

Nuff said!

During this trip, I was a guest of the Jordan Tourism Board. That notwithstanding, the stories I share were my real experiences and nothing else. As they always are!

Filed Under: Asia, Jordan, Travel Journal Tagged With: accommodations, Amman, camp, Canon EOS Rebel, ecolodge, evason, Feynan, hotel, Jordan, lodging, luxury, Marriott, movenpick, Petra, photos, resort, rummana, six senses, spa, sunset

The Real Heroes of Kilimanjaro

6 June 2013 by Raul 2 Comments

Kilimanjaro, while not a technical hike, is still a very challenging climb. Anyone who has climbed it should be quite proud of the accomplishment. I am privileged to have had the chance to attempt it and lucky to have succeeded! And so for the other 15 trekkers in our group who also climbed it.

The 16 trekkers and our lead guide, Luis

The average age of our group of 16 was 42 (with the median at 46, in case that tells you something!). And we all made it thanks to many factors: our training, our willpower, our support of each other, the collegiality of the group, etc. But just as important were the leadership and support our guides provided. Minding our safety first, they also bonded well with us at different times and in different ways.

With Said, who helped me during summit night and then sped me down the scree field!

With Buga, one of the liveliest of our guides – always smiling, singing and taking care of us

The trekkers and the guides can certainly call their efforts heroic or near-heroic. We had a trekker climb with a broken hand for 3 days unknown to anyone but herself. Another had bronchitis. And another had severe nausea during the ascent. They ALL made it. They -Liz, Laura, and Olivia- are definitely heroes to me. The guides worked SO hard on behalf of us. Not only minding our safety but also helping us during summit night ANY way they could. And, for a couple of us, also on the descent through the scree. They certainly are heroes to those of us whom they helped achieve this fantastic feat!!

The local guides

However, all that said, the real heroes of Kilimanjaro are the folks who make everything happen seamlessly in the background so that trekkers like myself can have a wonderful trek, a comfortable camp experience, and good food and water to sustain us. The real heroes of Kilimanjaro are the porters.

Many of those porters, we never got to meet. They worked behind the scenes. They didn’t hike along us. They carried our main luggage, tents, and everything else needed at camp. They brought water to camp. They cooked our meals. They set up and took down tents. They set up and cleaned the portable toilets. They hauled trash away so we would leave the mountain as unscathed as we found it.

As we walked up the mountain, porters from our group or other groups passed us along the paths carrying their loads. They moved fast and many did not have the right gear. These men work hard and do hard work to earn a living. Many of them are just picked up at the start of the route by the local lead guide to be hired for the trek right before we get going. Some become part regulars. And some eventually become guides.

As porters passed us along the path, we always cleared the way so they could pass us and not be bogged down by us. Partly this was, admittedly, self-serving as the earlier they got to camp, the more ready the camp would be when we arrived. But when we started doing this, that was not what we were thinking about. We were strictly thinking about making things easier for them in appreciation for all they do.

Porter carrying a load up Kili

The evening after we came off the mountain, after we all cleaned up, we all met at our hotel to celebrate and thank our guides and porters for their great work. The video clip below is of very amateurish quality but I think the joy these guys live with is self-evident. We loved their singing during the hike and we enjoyed celebrating!

The porters of Kili are the real heroes for me. To this anonymous group (we knew some of them but not most), I say ASANTE SANA! Our Kili experience would not have been possible without you. If you climb Kili, be sure to clear the way as they try to pass you!!

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Reaching Kilimanjaro’s Summit | Kilimanjaro Day 6

11 April 2013 by Raul 29 Comments

Here we go, the BIG day. Day 6 of the Mount Kilimanjaro climb! The day we hope to reach and pass Stella Point on the rim of Mount Kilimanjaro to get to Uhuru Peak, the highest point of the mountain – the highest point in Africa!!! Or, I should say, the day we attempt to reach and pass Stella Point to get to Uhuru Peak. I will do my best to convey how reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit climb feels like on day 6 but the physical and mental efforts are hard to put into words that do it justice and help anyone comprehend the experience well. But I will do my best as it is worth reading about it whether you are planning to do summit Kili or are just curious about it…

Why there are not a lot of photos from the summit attempt

You will notice how the middle of this post is devoid of photos. First, do not worry, there are pictures towards the last third of the post! Secondly, that matches what happened for me in the ascent. Much of what happened in the middle of summit night was not captured by a camera because I was too focused on going up and, for part of it, even my mind did not capture any images.

The goal: Uhuru Peak

Breaking down summit night

I will break down this most important of days during our climb of Mount Kilimanjaro to -hopefully- make it easier for me to organize myself and make sense. Day 6 consisted of four parts – it was to be one LONG day in chronological time and mental time. The four key parts are:

Going from Barafu Camp (base camp) to Stella Point (at the rim of the volcano that is Mount Kilimanjaro) – expected to be about 7 hours of trekking
Going from Stella Point to Uhuru Peak (the actual summit point of Kilimanjaro) – expected to be a short 45 mins to one hour fairly “flattish” walk
Coming down from Uhuru Peak back to our base camp (Barafu) for a brief rest, removing inner layers, and having lunch – about 3 hours
Arriving to Mweka Camp where we were to spend our last night on the mountain – about 4.5 hours of a downhill, easy walk.

I will cover in this post only the ascent on day 6 (#1 and 2 above) and not the descent that happened later that day. I will cover the descent on day 6 (#3 and 4) with the final descent of day 7…

Leaving Barafu Camp to reach Stella Point

Barafu Camp at 15,100 ft (4,600 m) was a hard camp to like. I write about it in my narrative for day 5. Yet, I could have stayed there a few more hours sleeping that night… Four of our group left at 11 PM to have an extra hour to reach the summit. The rest of us saw them leave camp, and then we finished prepping and ate a snack prior to heading out for our attempt at the summit. At midnight, we left the relative comfort of this camp to do what we came here to do: tame Uhuru Peak!

I was pumped even while wondering (and perhaps feeling a little nervous about) what would happen, how it would end 8 hours later. Ah, the fool… I was to learn the end was NOT reaching the summit, but reaching our camp for the night. More on that later…

What did I wear on the way to Kili’s summit?

I wrote about the particular items to wear for this climb here but a quick recap here. Though it was very cold at base camp given the altitude and the time of day we were leaving the camp, we were instructed to dress such that we were slightly cold upon setting out since we would warm up as we exercised during the climb – great tip as I would not have thought of it in that state of sleep-deprivation…

So, I wore my two tight woolen tops, then my merino wool light jacket, and my hard shell jacket (which protected me against wind and water though, mercifully, we did not have precipitation). The synthetic down jacket would wait until we took breaks (when, since you are at rest, you do not want to lose the heat your body has generated) or until it finally got too cold even while walking (which it did at some point). In terms of my legs, I wore my long wool underwear (all the wool layers by the skin helped wick moisture away from the skin) under my convertible hiking pants and then my hard shell pants.

Still, it was VERY cold on summit night in Kili!

The only place on my body where I felt really, really cold was my toes though I was wearing sock liners and the thickest wool socks I could find. It is amazing to think that it actually can be much colder than I experienced. We had milder temperatures than normal up there per what our guide told us. Ahead of the trek, I had been told I would be exceedingly cold and it did not quite feel that way (feet aside). Boy, am I glad that was the case on this particular night!

Time is a funny thing

During the climb up to Stella Point, it is amazing how time flowed – or how I felt it flowed… The hourly five to ten minute breaks we took (a lot shorter than the breaks we got to take on prior days) provided a little bit of rest from the effort and allowed for drinking some water, eating a little something, and handling nature calls. During one of those breaks, probably as we were beginning to zone out and wear out, they surprised us with hot tea – one of the happiest moments in those seven hours!

Handling nature calls was a little more of a pain than it had been other days of the climb because it was dark. But when nature calls, it calls. And no pee bottle here. In any case, I worked my way up by focusing on each hour’s walk, not on the totality of what was ahead of me. I was not looking at my watch at all but when the break came, I knew an hour had passed and that was an hour off the seven-hour count… Keep the focus on the next sixty minutes…

And who said it would be a piece of cake? No one. They were right.

After the first hour of the climb, my heart rate starting racing and I was out of breath a lot like on day 4 after we had passed the Barranco Wall. We had been climbing bigger rocks (requiring big steps) which was exactly what had caused my troubles on day 4 – except now I was four or five thousand feet higher…

That issue was going to slow me down and, tonight, falling behind could mean being turned around. The guides had been clear with the first subgroup that if we got to Stella Point at the same time as them, they would have to turn back at Stella Point and head back to basecamp. It meant they would take a lot more than an hour reaching Uhuru and, having already been at that altitude an extra hour than us, it would have been too much time up there. So, I knew that if I fell behind too much in my own group, that I could miss getting to Uhuru. That realization really hit me hard.

Guide wisdom. Trust it. Don’t fight it.

One of guides, Said, told me to give him my daypack. My heart sank. Was that an early indicator that I would not make it to the top? As soon as the path became less “pronouncedly” rocky, I told Said I could take my daypack back because I was back to “normal.” He shook his head and said he would keep it. At first, with pride stepping in, I said no, I could take it. And then I realized that it may be the worst thing I could do. I needed to save every last drop of my energy for the big rocks ahead. I resumed my climb, “daypackless.” Boy, am I glad I did…

I believe I was the second or third person to lose their daypack in our group. I felt this would take away from the feat should I reach the summit. I had nothing to fear. Within a few hours, more than half (including the four guys in this subgroup) had lost their daypacks too, including our star athlete who had run across deserts and had been carrying a daypack every day of this climb loaded at 30-40 lbs. I have to digress and mention that this guy, a dentist from northwestern Canada, would carry all sorts of candy in his daypack and, all throughout the week’s hike, would pull out a DIFFERENT bag of candy (gummy bears, sour patches, etc.) to pass around at breaks. Needless to say, he became everyone’s friend fast!

It is worth pointing out how carefully our guides were watching each one of us even after we surrendered our daypacks. Clearly, ensuring no one exhibited dangerous signs of altitude sickness (the ones that represent life-threatening danger like cerebral edema). But they REALLY wanted us to make it to Uhuru Peak as long as we were not exhibiting any serious symptoms and did everything they could to assist us in reaching our objective. I felt very safe among these great men.

The lights are not always at the end of the tunnel…

Though we had a full moon, we still needed to illuminate the path ahead by wearing headlamps. I remember that I would look up ahead on the trail and see what was becoming a downer for me: a long trail of headlamps ahead of us zigzagging the slope of the mountain. And then you didn’t see any. That point would get closer and closer, and it felt good to know we were reaching a “milestone” of sorts. But once we reached the milestone, I would look up and see, yet again, another LONG trail of headlamps going all the way up to a point far up the mountain. After this, I decided not to look up anymore… It was disheartening!

Sleep and memory loss – all in a Kili climber’s night!

Maybe halfway up to Stella Point, I was dozing off. No, not during breaks. This was as I moved my feet up that mountain and as my arms moved the hiking poles. The lack of oxygen and being tired had everything to do with that. (Through chats post-facto, I learned others were also dozing off as they walked up.) It was insane.

I decided that I needed to occupy my mind but I was too tired to alphabetize countries or come up with some other mental activity. I was that exhausted and my brain was likely not able to function well. I want to say that the thought that I was reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit was very clearly driving me. I was so tired, I may have half forgotten why I was there.

Keeping my mind occupied

Looking at the Southern Cross, which someone pointed out, gave me something think about (or try to look at without tripping). Some folks had music in their portable devices but I had not brought mine. That was on purpose. I actually wanted to listen to the folks stepping on the mountain, focus on the quietness of the surroundings, not being cluttered with noise. I like not feeling “trapped” within myself when it comes to sounds and that felt more important to me that night.

Give it up, baby give it up

Towards the end of the third hour, our lead guide, Luis, told us that we needed to be sure we were not spending our every last drop of energy in the remaining part of the climb. I thought to myself “huh?”. He said that coming down would be very hard too. Therefore, it was crucial we managed our exertion level. I was not sure how we would do that. But then I started thinking maybe he was trying to subtly tell some people to give up their daypack…

A “happy” place. Say what?

Then, he said, “guys, the next few hours are going to be very hard; find your happy place because you are going to need it”. I remember thinking, in my tiredness, “my happy place? my happy place? what IS that?? a beach? no. wine? no, wine is not a place.” I had no energy to conjure a happy spot I didn’t have previously. And then, all of a sudden, the faces of my sister’s, cousins’ and friends’ kids came to mind. Their smiley, happy faces. So I started calling roster on all of them seeing those smiley faces. I had found my happy place. And it kept me distracted easily for another hour. I say “easily” because I think it is after an hour of that that my memory goes blank…

Yes, what happened in the last 2-3 hours prior to Stella Point are a big blank. I have no idea what happened, when we stopped, what was I thinking, nothing, nada, nil. Comparing notes with others later, I am not the only one to whom that happened. We had been told the last bit before reaching Stella Point would be scree (small pebbles). So for every step forward, there would be a step back. I have no recollection of scree, of steps forward, or steps back.

And then it happened… Steeeeeeeellllllaaaaa!

So I was in some zone when all of a sudden, to my right, I see a glimmer of light on the horizon. Sunrise is beginning! It was like an injection of adrenaline straight to my heart – and mind. Watching the sun rise and trying to take good pictures became the priority as we continued walking up. I was awake!

Sunrise from Kilimanjaro as we neared Stella Point

Glorious!

The sun finally broke through the horizon and we could see that Stella Point was just like 20 minutes away. It was one of THE most incredible moments in my life. You see, at that moment, I had no doubt I would make it. Though, how could I really tell how the higher altitude and serious lack of oxygen would hit me 20 mins later? It didn’t matter, I just knew I was A-OK!

We hit Stella Point and I couldn’t believe how quickly it came upon us. I don’t think I could see it from the final approach. This was unbelievable. I was at over 18,000 ft and would only have one more hour up to Uhuru Peak after a short break at Stella Point. We laughed, hugged, and even teared up some.

Some of the trekkers and guides at Stella Point on Kilimanjaro

Some of the trekkers and guides at Stella Point (I am on the far left)

The view around Kilimanjaro’s crater

My eyes couldn’t believe the view outside of the mountain and INTO the mountain. Remember the top of Mount Kilimanjaro is a crater from a long-extinct volcano.

Looking around the top of Kili

Immediately the picture-taking began in front of the brand-spanking-new green sign with yellow letters. TERRIBLE design… you had to be RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT for the letters to show well in a photo. Thankfully, they changed the sign since I summitted per the photos I see now.

In any case, pictures were taken and then we proceeded to get to Uhuru Peak… Time was of the essence. At that altitude, you do not want to linger despite the fact that we noticed tents in the crater. In any case, we had to mosey to the peak and we couldn’t dilly daddle. We had to move.

Reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit: Uhuru Peak

Mt. Kilimanjaro used to be covered in glaciers. Today, the glaciers are there but they are not as dominant as they must have been. Sadly, they are expected to disappear completely in a few decades. Still, seeing them from a distance was impressive with the African horizon behind them. Yes, a glacier in Africa. So mind-boggling. We knew we were close to meeting our objective of reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit !

The hour walk (or maybe 45 mins?) up to Uhuru was much easier and less steep than the prior few hours though we still went up 660 feet (200 m) or so to reach it.

Trekker and guide walking up to Uhuru Peak in Kilimanjaro

Said and I headed to Uhuru Peak

Everyone was in great spirits as we attempted reaching Kilimanjaro’s summit. And then, we saw it, the big green sign marking Uhuru Peak!!! WE WERE THERE! Laughter, smiles, even some jumping-for-joy all around. We caught up with the first group. It was so awesome to see all of us together at the peak. The probabilities were that they would be already on their way down when we got to Uhuru or that they wouldn’t reach it. Consequently, the fact that we all were there together, this group that had been together for about 10 days, was truly priceless.

One of the many celebratory photos taken: here with Liz and Len Stanmore

Immediately we got close to the sign to wait our turn to stand in front of it and capture the moment in a photo. Phenomenal moment of joy for all of us. And just as happy as we were, our guides were beaming that we had all make it – asante sana, guys!

And so reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro comes to an end

The story of the descent is for another post – and the descent was painful. However, I will share one reflection here about having reached the summit.

Even if I had surrendered my daypack no one moved my legs forward and upward for me, as Luis our lead guide told us once at base camp. Every step I took on that blessed mountain was my own. That is the real achievement here for each trekker: the strength of will and of body to push forward and upward. The strength when you think you don’t have it all together. When you feel the next big rock may be the one that tips the climb over for you and sends you back to camp. When you don’t know what is your “happy place”. I will treasure what I learned that early morning the rest of my life.