There has been a lot of talk in travel circles lately about authenticity in travel accounts. I’m all in for showing you pretty photos of pretty places, but I think it’s also important to show you a real side of travel as well, and of the places I visit.
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I came across this photo of me on one of the first evenings of climbing #Kilimanjaro and laughed a bit at my expression; I thought it looked pretty real to what I was feeling, and what the experience was. Tired but content after a day of hiking, a little sunburned, no make-up, hiking clothes, ready to PASS OUT. Also, there are a couple of flecks on my face I thought were specks on my screen, but now I’m pretty sure it’s just dirt on my actual face.
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It’s great to make everything look pretty and effortless, but it can give others a skewed idea of what an experience is like - that’s not what I want to do here.
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Traveling to another country is beautiful and rewarding, as was climbing a stunning mountain, as are a lot of experiences around the world. But travel can also be tiring, at times frustrating, and yes, a little dirty.
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Going into any adventure in life expecting it to be a nonstop montage of IG picture perfect moments will set you up for major disappointment. So learn to love, or at least deal with, the dirt a bit :)
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