I traded in a typical birthday party with friends in a nice warm restaurant for a priceless experience I will never forget. My friend Brooke and I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro to celebrate our 30th birthdays! Kili is not a technical climb, it’s more of a trek, but the altitude and endurance are key. We figured after training for a climb like this, we would be in the best shape of our lives for this monumental birthday! I had previously run two marathons but never climbed any mountains. To prepare, we ran, walked, hiked, ran stadium steps, kickboxed, and lifted weights. As far as the climb conditions, all I can say is I'm glad I brought my rain gear. The greatest advice we received? EVERYTHING goes in a Ziploc bag, and bring extra trash bags! It rained every single day of the climb, and on summit day it began to snow and never stopped. I couldn’t see the person in front of me. We left for the summit push from 15,600 ft at midnight, arrived at 19,340 ft at 7:15 am, and made it back down to 10,000 ft at about 4 pm — the longest day of my life! I was exhausted. But I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. After the 6-day climb, we went on a 4-day safari in the Serengeti, and then rang in the New Year in Amsterdam. We’re already plotting how to top this trip when we turn 40!