"Don't Set Sail Using Someone Else's Star"

That quote is a Swahili proverb. It was the title of my journal entry on October 27 2002. That was the day I read a Vogue magazine article (that this hoarder still has!) about the country of Zanzibar. I longed to go to this exotic land that I thought would satisfy my desires of the unknown. It made so much sense because I always knew, since I was a young girl, that when I first started traveling this world, Africa is where I would start.

The motivation of starting this blog is so I can share a very important journey in my life with the people close to me. I am setting sail, following my own star September 2011. Within the past few months I have come to realize that, yes I am ready...and now IS the time. And once that decision was made everything has come together more than I ever dreamed. My trip is more than a vacation and now has a purpose. I did not want to go to this part of the world and take all these amazing memories without giving something back to people that need so much. So.... I will be trekking Mt.Kilimanjaro as a part of a charity climb with the American Foundation for Children with Aids (AFCA). I came across their program Climb Up So Kids Can Grow Up when looking for a tour group to join. I worked a lot with AIDS charity organizations when I was younger and it has been a part missing in my life. I believe in AFCA and the work they are doing,

This is a link to my fund raising page with AFCA: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/samantha-obrien/climb-up-kilimanjaro

 

Here is a video made by AFCA for their first Kilimanjaro charity climb in 2009, so you can get an idea of what I am in for!