Wednesday, 20 July 2016

IT'S TIME TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT!





"Once I quit my job, I'll spend more time with my family."
"When I get married, I'll be happy."
"I'm waiting to make enough money."
"Once my wife turns thirty, I'll surprise her with her favorite dress."
"Once I complete this course, I'll spend more time with my friends."
"Come the end of July, when I graduate, I'll concentrate more on my passion."
"Once I retire, I will travel the world."

But  you're still employed, or single or studying. We are here! It's happening! It's real!

As of now, you can still carve out time from your busy schedule to spend with your family.
As of now, you can choose to be happy in your single-hood.
As of now, you can purpose to set aside fifteen minutes everyday to hone your passions.
As of now, you can set aside time in your downtime to travel the world

There is no someday, you know, there is only right now!
We need to focus our energy on improving the quality of the present reality instead of projecting all those improvements into the realm of someday.

Enough countdowns to Fridays and  D-days.
Enough hoping for the next semester, next chapter and next month.
Enough sitting tight for your soul mate while rehearsing all your lines.
Enough waiting for a massive turn around when your small daily inputs count for the ultimate change.

The present is here and it's all we've got. Enjoy the warmth of the sun while you still can. Enjoy the smile of your loved ones. Enjoy the downpour while it rains. Enjoy all the seasons of your life; For in teenage hood, you'll miss your childhood years of chasing after butterflies. In your twenties, you'll miss your teenage years of playing in the rain. In your forties, you'l miss your youthful zest and vigor. In your old age, you'll miss your years of parenting and raising a family.
May we live, love, laugh and learn,..in the moment! For in the years to come, all this will be a fragment of our memory.

So let us choose the present over distance potential in our minds.
Let us find joy in the now, not in the future unseen, and unrealized moments.
Let us love in the moment, not in the months up and coming.
Let us celebrate today's small feats instead of waiting for next years grand victories.
Today, let's put all our energy in the now and not in the future blurred illusions.

It's not enough to create a future of joy when your present is the opposite. What's holding back your joy at the moment? What assurance do you have that once you get what you want that your joy will be full?
Truth is, projecting too much what we want in our future will hurt the enjoyment of our present.
Let's stop all the rushing and chasing and ask ourselves; How can we experience, joy, fulfillment and total bliss in the moment?

For now, the moment is what really counts. Cheers to living, laughing, learning, loving and enjoying every bit the present moment has to offer!

Friday, 15 July 2016

MT. KILIMAMBOGO CHRONICLES



Mount Kilimambogo, as I know it  now, is not only a sight seeing spot but a fitness center. Reason being, there are not only panoramic sights and views along the way, but the terrain has also something to offer. Mt. Kilimambogo, which is situated at Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park is like a  moody lover who inspires emotional highs and lows. One minute it fills you with a rush of passion, the next you're full of furry.

We started our climb at around 1100hrs. As I chugged along, I couldn't hide my excitement. Clearly, I was all stoked up for the walk. The walk seemed to conjure up memories of the Matter Heart Run walks that I occasionally participate in; fun, pomp and adventure, while still supporting a noble cause. This walk was similar to it in a way; fun, adventure and most importantly, exercise while still at it(so I thought). However, I had no inkling whatsoever of the trail that was before us.

We weaved our way up the dusty murram road before we came to a steep, meandering ascent uphill which had rocky stones scattered in an ascending manner. The walk up was steep, strenuous and windy but manageable given the fact that our strength was still intact. In a span of about twenty minutes, the place had already shown me its beauty before treating me to it's tougher side.

We successfully surmounted the first climb and landed meticulously on the dusty murram road, just like skilled mountaineers-armed with our backpacks and water bottles. I felt so relieved to have conquered the first steep. We trudged on...our steps steady as ever!



Unbeknownst to me, the trek was only beginning. We had barely covered a kilometer and the total distance to the summit was approximately 12.6 kilometer uphill. For starters, I was not so keen on the distance covered. In fact, it didn't occur to me that it will be a rather tasking or challenging walk. I was expecting a leisurely kind of walk.

It was when I tackled the second sloppy terrain that I started taking note of the distance covered! A guard on standby assured us that we were not far off from the summit. In hindsight, his assurance was a tad bit true but it was well needed in that situation.

The trail was flanked on either side by indigenous trees and rocks. We stopped occasionally to soak in on the view below. As we snaked up hill, our loud banter was slowly replaced with heavy gasping. Our legs became heavier with each preceding step. After the second hour of climbing up the slope, I was really starting to feel like a dawdler. Other groups, in the spirit of team building waxed past me at an impressive speed. Their motivation somehow lifted our spirits, and we lumbered along at our slow speed and the road finally led us uphill to an expansive picnic ground.



It felt quite fulfilling to finally reach the summit. My excitement was however short-lived when I discovered there was no view point from the peak. Like seriously? We arranged our picnic baskets and had lunch amidst banter and conversation of the adventurous climb.

Fast forward to our descent down hill. Sweaters were tied nonchalantly round our waists and woebegone expressions were written all over our faces. My legs were quivering like twigs about to snap and our dust tinted canvas dragged on the road as we lumbered along the terrain. The terrain had literally sapped up my energy.We passed up a group of tourists taking photos and enjoying the scenery. Perhaps they had come to soak up a vestige of the bygone buffaloes that once inhabited the forest, or perhaps they'd just come to walk, like us. We stopped for some few minutes to enjoy the scenery before we continued.




Luckily, the walk downhill was not as challenging as uphill, We were at the foot of the mountain in record time, albeit the last ones. Truth is, I'm not as fit as my physique may suggest. More so, for a person who's never been to any strenuous hike, or even Ngong Hills, I gathered that I performed fairly well.

If I were to pick up one word to sum up my experience at Kilimambogo it'd be adventure. Every moment was vividly and intensely felt, albeit painfully. Thanks to the terrain, it earned me a bonus rest day and a remarkable life lesson; As we journey on with life, sometimes we have the urge and thoughts of giving up but we always have to set our eyes on the price. Giving up is not an option- Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up!


This tour re-ignited my wanderlust sate in so many different levels; Here's to more adventures in future. That's what life is all about, isn't it? Seizing new opportunities, doing things you won't normally do, being open to the accidental and surmounting obstacles.



        Photography; Courtesy of Joseph Mwai(Ediagrams Photography)
Thanks Joseph for capturing those moments. I guess they're called moments because they don't last very long!


Sincerely Beccah