winnie xu.

A year ago there were these cheap tickets for a roundtrip to Tanzania that I found. I booked them  with some friends I barely knew besides the fact that we thought similarly about the deal. In retrospect, this probably wasn't the most responsible decision given the incredibly crazy timing and things happening in my life during that time. But nonetheless, we did a quick google search and found that the main attractions there were: 1) going on a safari at the Serengeti to Ngorongoro crater, and 2) summiting Mt Kilimanjaro -- the continent's highest freestanding mountain. Between February 1-14, 2023, I did just that. At the roof of Africa. So cold. Camping the night before summit. A lot have since asked me about my experiences in Tanzania and why I did such a crazy thing. I have no better answer than maybe that I'm a masochist who loves a good challenge. Besides the challenges to my physical and traveling style, which I'm proud to have overcome and become more accommodatin