Episode 82:  Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, but make it fashionable

Episode 82: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, but make it fashionable

Author: Mike Schibel, Travel With Meaning May 25, 2022 Duration: 41:04

Renowned adventure photographer Laura Grier  has a knack for manifesting extraordinary opportunities. When she was presented with leading an all women's climb to the top of the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, she knew this would be one of her greatest physical and mental challenges of her life.  If the eight days and fifty one hours of climbing through blizzards and down pours was not difficult enough, Laura and her fearless crew of ladies became a fashion pit crew stopping each day for a photo shoot.  Each lady on the climb had a chance express themselves and mark this monumental adventure with a goddess portrait in something that looked right out of fashion magazine.  When you see the stunning images Laura captured (check the Travel With Meaning Instagram) of her goddess crew in the different landscapes that make up the climb wearing traditional African fabric purchased at a local market and in jewelry from the Maasai tribe it's hard to remember these women have been climbing for days with no showers. As a passionate advocate of local artisan, Laura is also co-founder of Andeana Hats made in Peru and Guatemala, she wanted these photo shoot images to also pay homage to local African artisans. 

Small spoiler alert, all the women did summit and had an incredible adventure.  When we asked Laura what her biggest takeaway was from the trip she said this adventure really pushed her to practice being present and be in the moment.  As Laura said she realized many of her travels have involved her own search for being in the moment, staying present and this is a practice she has brought home with her.   

To learn more about Laura and her incredible travel stories and background listen to episode seven of the TWM podcast

- click here.

 

Enjoy this episode and make sure to check out the Travel With Meaning Instagram for the amazing goddess photo shoot images from the Kilimanjaro climb!


Mike Schibel sits down with a fascinating array of guests on Travel With Meaning, but the destination is rarely the main point. Instead, this podcast explores the profound personal shifts that happen when we step outside our familiar surroundings. Each conversation delves into a specific journey-whether it’s a life-altering pilgrimage, a chaotic business trip that sparked a new idea, or a simple vacation that unexpectedly clarified a career path. You’ll hear from artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and seasoned travel experts, but the focus remains on the transformative moment, the insight gained, or the connection made that reverberated long after the suitcase was put away. Schibel, founder of Travel With Meaning, guides these discussions with a genuine curiosity, allowing his guests to unpack not just their itineraries but the emotional and professional baggage they carried with them. The stories reveal how travel acts as a catalyst, reshaping identities, forging unexpected creative directions, and offering a new lens on one’s place in the world. Listening feels like being part of an intimate, thoughtful dialogue where the map of a life is redrawn by the roads taken. This isn't about recommendations or tips; it's about the lasting imprint of a place on a person. The podcast consistently uncovers how the world, in all its diverse complexity, has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to learn, often when we least expect it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Travel With Meaning
Podcast Episodes
Ep 51: Sounds From The Open Road [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:50
In a year where travel has been turned upside down I wanted to share something special with you. Enjoy sounds from a recent road trip to Eastern Sierras in California. You'll hear the stillness of the night, rain, thunde…
Ep 50: Emily Thomas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:18
I am an Associate Professor in Philosophy at Durham University, and an Honorary Fellow at the ACU Dianoia Institute of Philosophy. I've written a lot on space and time in the history of philosophy, from the seventeenth t…
Ep 49: Eric Hutchinson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:22
Sometime last year, Eric Hutchinson came to a strange realization: he kept daydreaming about high-school. It had been over twenty years since the singer-songwriter had graduated from Montgomery Blair High School, yet his…
Ep 48: Davis Smith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:18
Davis Smith grew up throughout Latin America and has since dedicated his life to helping those in need there and around the world. He's a passionate social entrepreneur and adventurer. Davis is currently the founder and…
Ep 47: Shelby Stanger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:46
Shelby Stanger has been passionate about storytelling since she inked her first article in a national publication at age 15. As a longtime adventure journalist in the outdoor sports world, Shelby has standup-paddled a po…
Ep 46: Dan Blanchard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:41
We've all heard a tall tale or two, but when it comes to Captain Dan Blanchard—well, he's the real thing. Growing up in Washington State, he has always been around boats. Even as a kid, Dan worked alongside other family…
Ep 45: Tristan Prettyman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:40
With her first three recordings, 2003's The Love EP, 2005's breezy twentythree and 2008's Hello, Tristan Prettyman parlayed her smoky alto voice and laid-back surfer-girl-from-San-Diego charm into an eight-year career st…
Ep 44: Zim Flores [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:22
Zim Flores is a believer, traveler, speaker & entrepreneur. In 2013, she started Travel Noire, an award-winning boutique travel company. By the time the brand was acquired in 2017, it reached 2MM travelers each month and…
Ep 43: Steve Bramucci [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:56
Steve Bramucci is a novelist, travel/food writer, adventurer, teacher, and storyteller. He's rowed down the Mekong River in a traditional Vietnamese x'ampan, ventured into the Outback with Aboriginal elders, and spent fo…
Ep 42: Kaj Larsen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:14
Kaj Larsen was born in Santa Cruz, California, and graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a degree in Political Science. At Harvard University he received his Masters degree in Public Policy from…