CLIMBING MT KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA The summit was quiet. Perhaps the quietest place I have ever been in my life. It was summer, and the temperature was creeping around -5° F. Was it serenity I was experiencing, or something else? I wasn't really sure what was happening: It was almost as if I was in shock. Staring into the distance, surrounded by glaciers, I could see clearly until the horizon disappeared. The summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the rooftop of Africa, was easily the apex of this vacation and one of the most important and enjoyable moments of my life.