Employee spotlight: Aisling's trip to the top of the world
Aisling! You made it ! Congratulations — how was your experience?
It was absolutely incredible; a different world. It was such a culture shock. I was really taken aback from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. I had the privilege to meet some amazing people and see some of the most stunning landscapes that I will ever see. On the first day we arrived we drove through Arusha which is where we stayed, it was probably one of the most memorable drives of my life; amazing. From the very beginning to the end of my journey I was in awe.
Wow…how was the actual climb?
The first day was exciting as we were just starting our ascent and we trekked for around 5 hours. From then on to around Day 5 the hike was actually quite comfortable; we went at a nice pace and it wasn’t too steep!
Throughout the entire climb I was blown away by the amazing scenery. We started off trekking through tropical forests; vividly alive and teeming with life to traveling through sprawling woodlands. Closer to the top the landscape was covered in icy glacier plateaus which made the final climb a little more challenging.
Summit night was difficult; cold and long but it was worth every step when I got to see the sunrise at the top and realised what I had just achieved. It was surreal, like being on another planet. You felt you could reach out and touch the clouds in front of you. Coming down was a lot easier, it only took two days and it was much more relaxed! I have to say also the African guides and porters were phenomenal during my climb, they were my heroes, they are a remarkable group of people.
How are you feeling being back?
It was great to be able to come home to such a supportive team! Everybody was congratulating me the second I got back. Being part of such a collaborative team, before I went away it was easy to hand over my workload. I love how I can travel for 2 weeks and not have to worry about things stopping or having work pile up. This support allowed me to truly disconnect and enjoy the whole experience.
What advice would you give to people planning to go on a similar adventure?
Having had the opportunity to do this and now share my story means a lot. I genuinely hope this inspires others to do something similar. So, for anyone half thinking of doing something like this, just book it, you will not regret it and it’s an experience you have for life. For anyone doing a hike already, I would say drink plenty of water and make sure you have the right gear because it gets very cold at night!
“Pole Pole” — a phrase I heard a lot when I was over there. It means ‘slowly, slowly’ in Swahili. Small steps will get you there eventually and it was worth every moment.
Stephen Boyle, PayPal stories staff