Everyone asks me, “When are you climbing Everest?” The truth? It’s going to take years, and that’s on purpose. I could pay a company to send me tomorrow, but rushing would be unsafe for me and the people around me. Instead, I’m taking the long road. It’s a journey to become the climber who’s ready when the time is right.

Forget summit photos—the real untold story of Kilimanjaro is what happens when nature calls at 15,000 feet. Here’s the raw truth about toilets, pee funnels, and why I’ll never look at cilantro soup the same way again.

Day two was long and grueling: nearly eight hours of hiking, steep ridges, new climates, and plenty of laughs with guides and strangers alike. By the time we reached Shira Camp, my nails were full of dirt, my head was throbbing, and the stars stretched endlessly above.

Day one on Kilimanjaro was anything but glamorous: bus breakdowns, bracelet scams, rain showers, and a whole lot of peeing. But between the chaos and the laughter, we finally stepped onto the trail and took our first real steps toward the summit.