by Dave Byrne

Founder, Renua Energy

July 27th, 2022

Tanzania

 I just hiked Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania with my son, as a high school graduation present for him.  

Here are some reflections on the experience (many of which are business-related):

• You have to take on monumental tasks in small, manageable increments—“one step at a time…polepole (Swahili for “slowly”)”
• “Pain is temporary,” as our guide reminded us as we were laboring our breaths at almost 20k feet, pushing towards the summit
• Porters and other mountain guiding staff conduct their (often humble) jobs with so much integrity—even though their duties and responsibilities are grueling, they give it their best every day, without complaint
• My son’s interactions with our mountain and wildlife park tour guides and porters taught him so much—there is no substitute for traveling and meeting people and seeing things with your own eyes
• It was humbling for me to see US Flags on people’s cars and clothing—we are still seen as a beacon of hope and opportunity in so many places around the world (and some of our porters expressed their dreams of coming here)
• As Americans we have so much to be grateful for!
• The Tanzanian people are pretty awesome!