Photo by Jue Huang / Unsplash

How small talk can turn into a big deal, but someone has to make the first move to open up your worlds.

It was another long wait in Addis Abbaba, the capital of Ethiopia. I’d already had a very long, almost twelve-hour layover in Frankfurt, and while they have these lovely-but-pricey napcabs there, they aren’t the answer for a grueling international journey. I fly by miles, miles for me means steerage, steerage means long layovers. Add Covid, confusion and masses of constantly-changing requirements, you get it. I was beat.

I don’t recall how we got our conversation started. The Indian woman with the American man, as it turns out, husband and wife, were Americans from Orlando, Florida, just up the road from where I grew up. One thing led to another, and we ended up talking for some time. It also turns out that they are climbing Kilimanjaro, which I have also done. So you can imagine that our conversation got lively.

Radhika Narain was once a top corporate tax lawyer. She gave that up not long ago to start a charity, www.achildhoodforchildren.org, and this climb was a fund-raiser. What interested me so much about her story is that she’s closing in on fifty, she’s no kind of athlete, but she goes for it.

My kinda woman.

The fact that we go for it, albeit with serious preparation, is precisely what excites me so much about people like Radhika.

While I couldn’t see her smiling, I could tell she was, as she regaled me with stories of running a marathon.

“It was miserable,” she said, but like so many other people I know who have decided to take on this large mountain and make that journey their own, she ran her marathon. And in training for this event, she and John tracked down some local stairs, and despite the intense boredom (I can attest) they walked those stairs hours and hours and hours at a time with backpacks.

They also did their research. I shared some of my own tips, which they found valuable. Every single person, including myself, who hopes to summit and isn’t full of themselves also values those small insider ideas. Many of the tips that helped my summit be successful were from previous climbers who were kind enough to share. We like to share the wealth, and when others have made it to the top, they become part of that tribe.

It’s a very special tribe, in some ways akin to those those have done other huge climbs and summits. Kili is far more accessible than the other great summits, which is why it’s so popular. It’s also why there are so many sub-par and low-cost operators, which means that porter mistreatment can be a real problem.

Radhika and John had chosen a partner company of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, which told me she had really done her research. Many folks leap at the cheapest outfit, which sounds like a deal but which can deal you and your party a death blow. The best operators are partner companies with KPAP, which means that they commit to a slew of porter-friendly considerations ranging from proper mountain gear to fair wages to carrying a fair weight.

Tanzania, like many developing countries, has no concept of workers’ rights. Therefore organizations like KPAP go a long way towards ensuring safe and fair treatment of the crews who ensure that we get up and down that enormous mountain safely.

The most well-educated travelers really do their due diligence. They seek out sustainable destinations, they tend to choose operators who have a commitment to the local community as well as fair work practices as the KPAP partners do (as does mine). My outfit, eTrip Africa, does a lot more than just Kili trips, which is why this is my sixth trip with them. Ben Jennings, the general manager, has steered me to all manner of NGOs, charities and conservancies that are doing the kind of life-changing work that Africa so badly needs. My money goes to good causes, I learn about good organizations and I write stories which highlight that good work. Works for me.

Radhika and John had also sorted through the misinformation, and there is plenty of it, around Kili porters’ “unions,” and claims to be porter-friendly by competing operators. While admittedly, you are going to pay more for a partner company, but don’t have to pay top top dollar for a very well-known outfit (which gets you little more than a slightly taller toilet), that extra cushion is the insurance that you and I need to know that our porter crew is safe, warm, happy and well-fed.

This couple is now on my contact list. Typical of what I’d expect, it was hardly a few minutes later that I got a “nice to meet you” note from Radhika as they went on their way, and I on mine. Since I am in Florida next year, and will be flying into and out of Orlando, a visit is in order. I now have more folks to see in my old home state, the state of relative insanity but still full of good smart people doing the right thing for the right reasons.

I can’t wait to find out more about her charity, but even more so, how the climb went. They are part of an exclusive community, even if they don’t summit. I bet they will, because Radhika gets done what she sets her mind to.

Again, my kinda people.

I can’t wait to hear about it, too. Each time I start a friendly conversation, I never know where it will go. It almost always means new friends, interesting people living interesting lives. All you have to do is say hello, smile, and take it from there.

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

It was another long wait in Addis Abbaba, the capital of Ethiopia. I’d already had a very long, almost twelve-hour layover in Frankfurt, and while they have these lovely-but-pricey napcabs there, they aren’t the answer for a grueling international journey. I fly by miles, miles for me means steerage, steerage means long layovers. Add Covid, confusion and masses of constantly-changing requirements, you get it. I was beat.

I don’t recall how we got our conversation started. The Indian woman with the American man, as it turns out, husband and wife, were Americans from Orlando, Florida, just up the road from where I grew up. One thing led to another, and we ended up talking for some time. It also turns out that they are climbing Kilimanjaro, which I have also done. So you can imagine that our conversation got lively.

Radhika Narain was once a top corporate tax lawyer. She gave that up not long ago to start a charity, www.achildhoodforchildren.org, and this climb was a fund-raiser. What interested me so much about her story is that she’s closing in on fifty, she’s no kind of athlete, but she goes for it.

My kinda woman.

The fact that we go for it, albeit with serious preparation, is precisely what excites me so much about people like Radhika.

While I couldn’t see her smiling, I could tell she was, as she regaled me with stories of running a marathon.

“It was miserable,” she said, but like so many other people I know who have decided to take on this large mountain and make that journey their own, she ran her marathon. And in training for this event, she and John tracked down some local stairs, and despite the intense boredom (I can attest) they walked those stairs hours and hours and hours at a time with backpacks.

They also did their research. I shared some of my own tips, which they found valuable. Every single person, including myself, who hopes to summit and isn’t full of themselves also values those small insider ideas. Many of the tips that helped my summit be successful were from previous climbers who were kind enough to share. We like to share the wealth, and when others have made it to the top, they become part of that tribe.

It’s a very special tribe, in some ways akin to those those have done other huge climbs and summits. Kili is far more accessible than the other great summits, which is why it’s so popular. It’s also why there are so many sub-par and low-cost operators, which means that porter mistreatment can be a real problem.

Radhika and John had chosen a partner company of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, which told me she had really done her research. Many folks leap at the cheapest outfit, which sounds like a deal but which can deal you and your party a death blow. The best operators are partner companies with KPAP, which means that they commit to a slew of porter-friendly considerations ranging from proper mountain gear to fair wages to carrying a fair weight.

Tanzania, like many developing countries, has no concept of workers’ rights. Therefore organizations like KPAP go a long way towards ensuring safe and fair treatment of the crews who ensure that we get up and down that enormous mountain safely.

The most well-educated travelers really do their due diligence. They seek out sustainable destinations, they tend to choose operators who have a commitment to the local community as well as fair work practices as the KPAP partners do (as does mine). My outfit, eTrip Africa, does a lot more than just Kili trips, which is why this is my sixth trip with them. Ben Jennings, the general manager, has steered me to all manner of NGOs, charities and conservancies that are doing the kind of life-changing work that Africa so badly needs. My money goes to good causes, I learn about good organizations and I write stories which highlight that good work. Works for me.

Radhika and John had also sorted through the misinformation, and there is plenty of it, around Kili porters’ “unions,” and claims to be porter-friendly by competing operators. While admittedly, you are going to pay more for a partner company, but don’t have to pay top top dollar for a very well-known outfit (which gets you little more than a slightly taller toilet), that extra cushion is the insurance that you and I need to know that our porter crew is safe, warm, happy and well-fed.

This couple is now on my contact list. Typical of what I’d expect, it was hardly a few minutes later that I got a “nice to meet you” note from Radhika as they went on their way, and I on mine. Since I am in Florida next year, and will be flying into and out of Orlando, a visit is in order. I now have more folks to see in my old home state, the state of relative insanity but still full of good smart people doing the right thing for the right reasons.

I can’t wait to find out more about her charity, but even more so, how the climb went. They are part of an exclusive community, even if they don’t summit. I bet they will, because Radhika gets done what she sets her mind to.

Again, my kinda people.

I can’t wait to hear about it, too. Each time I start a friendly conversation, I never know where it will go. It almost always means new friends, interesting people living interesting lives. All you have to do is say hello, smile, and take it from there.

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

It was another long wait in Addis Abbaba, the capital of Ethiopia. I’d already had a very long, almost twelve-hour layover in Frankfurt, and while they have these lovely-but-pricey napcabs there, they aren’t the answer for a grueling international journey. I fly by miles, miles for me means steerage, steerage means long layovers. Add Covid, confusion and masses of constantly-changing requirements, you get it. I was beat.

I don’t recall how we got our conversation started. The Indian woman with the American man, as it turns out, husband and wife, were Americans from Orlando, Florida, just up the road from where I grew up. One thing led to another, and we ended up talking for some time. It also turns out that they are climbing Kilimanjaro, which I have also done. So you can imagine that our conversation got lively.

Radhika Narain was once a top corporate tax lawyer. She gave that up not long ago to start a charity, www.achildhoodforchildren.org, and this climb was a fund-raiser. What interested me so much about her story is that she’s closing in on fifty, she’s no kind of athlete, but she goes for it.

My kinda woman.

The fact that we go for it, albeit with serious preparation, is precisely what excites me so much about people like Radhika.

While I couldn’t see her smiling, I could tell she was, as she regaled me with stories of running a marathon.

“It was miserable,” she said, but like so many other people I know who have decided to take on this large mountain and make that journey their own, she ran her marathon. And in training for this event, she and John tracked down some local stairs, and despite the intense boredom (I can attest) they walked those stairs hours and hours and hours at a time with backpacks.

They also did their research. I shared some of my own tips, which they found valuable. Every single person, including myself, who hopes to summit and isn’t full of themselves also values those small insider ideas. Many of the tips that helped my summit be successful were from previous climbers who were kind enough to share. We like to share the wealth, and when others have made it to the top, they become part of that tribe.

It’s a very special tribe, in some ways akin to those those have done other huge climbs and summits. Kili is far more accessible than the other great summits, which is why it’s so popular. It’s also why there are so many sub-par and low-cost operators, which means that porter mistreatment can be a real problem.

Radhika and John had chosen a partner company of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, which told me she had really done her research. Many folks leap at the cheapest outfit, which sounds like a deal but which can deal you and your party a death blow. The best operators are partner companies with KPAP, which means that they commit to a slew of porter-friendly considerations ranging from proper mountain gear to fair wages to carrying a fair weight.

Tanzania, like many developing countries, has no concept of workers’ rights. Therefore organizations like KPAP go a long way towards ensuring safe and fair treatment of the crews who ensure that we get up and down that enormous mountain safely.

The most well-educated travelers really do their due diligence. They seek out sustainable destinations, they tend to choose operators who have a commitment to the local community as well as fair work practices as the KPAP partners do (as does mine). My outfit, eTrip Africa, does a lot more than just Kili trips, which is why this is my sixth trip with them. Ben Jennings, the general manager, has steered me to all manner of NGOs, charities and conservancies that are doing the kind of life-changing work that Africa so badly needs. My money goes to good causes, I learn about good organizations and I write stories which highlight that good work. Works for me.

Radhika and John had also sorted through the misinformation, and there is plenty of it, around Kili porters’ “unions,” and claims to be porter-friendly by competing operators. While admittedly, you are going to pay more for a partner company, but don’t have to pay top top dollar for a very well-known outfit (which gets you little more than a slightly taller toilet), that extra cushion is the insurance that you and I need to know that our porter crew is safe, warm, happy and well-fed.

This couple is now on my contact list. Typical of what I’d expect, it was hardly a few minutes later that I got a “nice to meet you” note from Radhika as they went on their way, and I on mine. Since I am in Florida next year, and will be flying into and out of Orlando, a visit is in order. I now have more folks to see in my old home state, the state of relative insanity but still full of good smart people doing the right thing for the right reasons.

I can’t wait to find out more about her charity, but even more so, how the climb went. They are part of an exclusive community, even if they don’t summit. I bet they will, because Radhika gets done what she sets her mind to.

Again, my kinda people.

I can’t wait to hear about it, too. Each time I start a friendly conversation, I never know where it will go. It almost always means new friends, interesting people living interesting lives. All you have to do is say hello, smile, and take it from there.

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

It was another long wait in Addis Abbaba, the capital of Ethiopia. I’d already had a very long, almost twelve-hour layover in Frankfurt, and while they have these lovely-but-pricey napcabs there, they aren’t the answer for a grueling international journey. I fly by miles, miles for me means steerage, steerage means long layovers. Add Covid, confusion and masses of constantly-changing requirements, you get it. I was beat.

I don’t recall how we got our conversation started. The Indian woman with the American man, as it turns out, husband and wife, were Americans from Orlando, Florida, just up the road from where I grew up. One thing led to another, and we ended up talking for some time. It also turns out that they are climbing Kilimanjaro, which I have also done. So you can imagine that our conversation got lively.

Radhika Narain was once a top corporate tax lawyer. She gave that up not long ago to start a charity, www.achildhoodforchildren.org, and this climb was a fund-raiser. What interested me so much about her story is that she’s closing in on fifty, she’s no kind of athlete, but she goes for it.

My kinda woman.

The fact that we go for it, albeit with serious preparation, is precisely what excites me so much about people like Radhika.

While I couldn’t see her smiling, I could tell she was, as she regaled me with stories of running a marathon.

“It was miserable,” she said, but like so many other people I know who have decided to take on this large mountain and make that journey their own, she ran her marathon. And in training for this event, she and John tracked down some local stairs, and despite the intense boredom (I can attest) they walked those stairs hours and hours and hours at a time with backpacks.

They also did their research. I shared some of my own tips, which they found valuable. Every single person, including myself, who hopes to summit and isn’t full of themselves also values those small insider ideas. Many of the tips that helped my summit be successful were from previous climbers who were kind enough to share. We like to share the wealth, and when others have made it to the top, they become part of that tribe.

It’s a very special tribe, in some ways akin to those those have done other huge climbs and summits. Kili is far more accessible than the other great summits, which is why it’s so popular. It’s also why there are so many sub-par and low-cost operators, which means that porter mistreatment can be a real problem.

Radhika and John had chosen a partner company of the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project, which told me she had really done her research. Many folks leap at the cheapest outfit, which sounds like a deal but which can deal you and your party a death blow. The best operators are partner companies with KPAP, which means that they commit to a slew of porter-friendly considerations ranging from proper mountain gear to fair wages to carrying a fair weight.

Tanzania, like many developing countries, has no concept of workers’ rights. Therefore organizations like KPAP go a long way towards ensuring safe and fair treatment of the crews who ensure that we get up and down that enormous mountain safely.

The most well-educated travelers really do their due diligence. They seek out sustainable destinations, they tend to choose operators who have a commitment to the local community as well as fair work practices as the KPAP partners do (as does mine). My outfit, eTrip Africa, does a lot more than just Kili trips, which is why this is my sixth trip with them. Ben Jennings, the general manager, has steered me to all manner of NGOs, charities and conservancies that are doing the kind of life-changing work that Africa so badly needs. My money goes to good causes, I learn about good organizations and I write stories which highlight that good work. Works for me.

Radhika and John had also sorted through the misinformation, and there is plenty of it, around Kili porters’ “unions,” and claims to be porter-friendly by competing operators. While admittedly, you are going to pay more for a partner company, but don’t have to pay top top dollar for a very well-known outfit (which gets you little more than a slightly taller toilet), that extra cushion is the insurance that you and I need to know that our porter crew is safe, warm, happy and well-fed.

This couple is now on my contact list. Typical of what I’d expect, it was hardly a few minutes later that I got a “nice to meet you” note from Radhika as they went on their way, and I on mine. Since I am in Florida next year, and will be flying into and out of Orlando, a visit is in order. I now have more folks to see in my old home state, the state of relative insanity but still full of good smart people doing the right thing for the right reasons.

I can’t wait to find out more about her charity, but even more so, how the climb went. They are part of an exclusive community, even if they don’t summit. I bet they will, because Radhika gets done what she sets her mind to.

Again, my kinda people.

I can’t wait to hear about it, too. Each time I start a friendly conversation, I never know where it will go. It almost always means new friends, interesting people living interesting lives. All you have to do is say hello, smile, and take it from there.

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash