The Woman in the Photo: A Two-Year Retrospective on Kilimanjaro
- Tracy Lance
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
Memories popping up sure have a way of making you remember. Today, my phone showed me who I was two years ago today—the day before I set foot on the tallest peak in Africa. The strange thing is, I don’t recognize her. She hasn't been through the fire of the mountain yet. She doesn't know what it feels like to be broken down so she can finally, truly, rise...M
These photos from Zanzibar and Kilimanjaro the days leading up to my harrowing climb on that mountain (that almost killed me…literally) just popped up in my memories, and I had to stop and stare.
To be honest, I don’t even recognize the woman in these pictures.
I kissed the ground when I landed, so grateful just to be on African soil. I felt fresh, beautiful, as I danced with the children, laughing until my sides ached. Look at her…so full of smiles and that “calm before the storm" energy.
I had an impromptu photo shoot all in my “Zanzibar glamour” (before the mud and grind on the mountain) complete with my hair blowing in the wind.
I had my "trauma-free life" vow tucked in my heart. I thought I was ready to just walk through a plush green rainforest and leave the "Ashes" of my past behind.
I thought I was going for a vacation with Rahel, we shopped in Moshe Town, met with the mountain tour guides and I even had the most amazing massage experience I ever had in my life at the spa! I was so excited to take on Mount Kilimanjaro… SO EXCITED!
That girl you see, had no idea that the mountain had a different plan. She didn't know that to reach the 'Altitude,' she’d first have to be stripped of every defense she ever built.
That mountain had a different plan for me… I didn't realize I was going for a reckoning.
These pics are a reflection of the last day I would be this version of myself.
Someone should’ve whispered to me: "Hold on tight. You have no idea how this mountain is about to strip you. You don't know how it will break you to your core, take your oxygen, and bring you to your knees before it ever begins building you back up."
Over the next few days, I’m going to be sharing the real story of that climb, the story these pictures don’t tell and the parts the camera couldn't catch. The parts I’ve discussed on my podcast/vidcast, The Rise: From Ashes to Altitude.
This week, I’m sharing the raw, unedited journey of what it really looks like to rise. From the fresh-faced excitement of the "Before" to the grit required for the "After."
Stay tuned as I go back to the base, back to the rainforest, and back to the moment I realized the "Rise" was going to change everything I thought I knew about myself.
Will you follow along with me this week? Have you ever looked at an old photo and realized you’re a completely different person now?
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