Traverse Beyond

24/06/2026

There are moments in life that you know you will never forget while they are still happening. Today was one of them. 🦍

We chose a medium length trek into Volcanoes National Park. Started around 8,800 feet. The trackers were on it but the gorillas had traveled farther overnight than anyone anticipated. So we just kept climbing.

And climbing.

And then it started to sprinkle. And then it started to pour.

Soaked. Bending through overgrowth every few feet, as a tall person that is its own adventure 😂, grabbing at brush, sliding in the mud, not entirely sure how much farther we had to go.

And not one person stopped. Not one person turned around.

Because that is the thing about an experience like this. The challenge becomes part of it. The rain becomes part of it. The mud becomes part of it. By the time we got word that the gorillas were close we were at 10,100 feet and completely drenched and none of it mattered even a little bit.

Standing in the presence of a mountain gorilla family in the wild. Not a zoo. Not a sanctuary. Just them living their lives in the jungle and letting us quietly follow wherever they went. Through the brush. Up and down. All of it.

A baby decided to play with us and whacked me with a stick.

I would do it a thousand times over. And grateful I get to do it again tomorrow.

The challenge was absolutely worth the reward. This is what showing up for an experience of a lifetime actually looks like. 🌍✨

20/06/2026

Day 3. Rwanda. 🇷🇼

You don’t really know until you’re here. 🇷🇼

I have partnered with Kids Play International. I have seen the stories. Heard about the successes. Read about the impact. And none of it fully prepared me for what it actually feels like to be standing in it.

We made our way south from Kigali to Gatagara today and I am still processing.

The kids were waiting for us when we arrived. So many of them. A few wore hats with our names on it which was such a kind touch. And then they performed for us and I just — I choked up. Standing there in their presence, watching these kids pour their hearts out for a group of strangers who got on a plane to show up for them.

I found my kiddo in the crowd. He wasn’t smiling at first. So I pulled out my phone and took a selfie with him. The second he saw himself in the camera he just beamed. That smile. I will not forget it. 🤍

I have been in situations like this many times leading trips around the world. And every single time it does the same thing to me. It pulls me completely into the present moment. No yesterday. No tomorrow. Just right here, right now, with these kids in front of me. There is nothing quite like it.

We rolled up our sleeves and got to work. Planted trees. Painted a school classroom. Met the headmaster. And somewhere in between the brushstrokes and the dirt under our fingernails I kept thinking about how small this gesture is and how much it seemed to matter.

That is the thing about showing up in person. The tiniest impact feels enormous when you can actually see it.

Then we sat with the parents of KPI kids and listened to their stories. How KPI has changed their families. How they communicate differently now. How boys and girls are being raised with equality in a place where that is not always the norm.

I lead these trips because I know what happens when you show up for something like this. Come find out for yourself. 🌍✨