I’m a little uneasy that Mo’ and I won’t meet Deirdre until we touch down in Tanzania. As our trip leader, Deirdre is responsible for keeping us safe on Kilimanjaro and for shepherding us through Tanzania’s airports, wild game parks, and even wilder driving hazards.
Since signing up for the trip, I’ve exchanged only a handful of emails with her, and we’ve spoken once on the phone. That’s it. Yet Deirdre has become a major presence, probably because Monica and I spend so much time preparing for our trip under her guidance.
She lives in Colorado, so our relationship is a form of distance learning.
Since signing up for the trip, I’ve exchanged only a handful of emails with her, and we’ve spoken once on the phone. That’s it. Yet Deirdre has become a major presence, probably because Monica and I spend so much time preparing for our trip under her guidance.
She lives in Colorado, so our relationship is a form of distance learning.
Deirdre has sent us packing lists, reading materials, and detailed instructions on how to prepare for our upcoming trek and safari. Nowadays when Mo’ and I aren’t busy buying new gear or budgeting for our new expenses, we’re reading up on Tanzania. When we’re not applying for visas or booking flights, we’re getting vaccinations. And when we’re not doing any of that, we’re supposed to be hiking. So we think about Deidre a lot.
The first thing to know about her is that she, like all Sierra Club trip leaders, is a volunteer. That was news to me. Since joining the Club in 1993 I’ve been under the impression that volunteers were only enlisted to lead local day hikes, while big expeditions and international trips were led by pros. But that’s not the case. Our trip to Africa will be a hybrid. Deidre is responsible for enlisting the 12 participants, evaluating our applications, prepping us, and making sure that all the necessary arrangements get made in a timely manner. Once we’re all in Africa, a professional outfitter called Zara Tours will take charge, providing guides, tents, food, and porters.
This will be Deirdre’s second Kilimanjaro trek and her first summit attempt as a trip leader. Our lead guide from Zara, however, has apparently summited over 75 times.
This will be Deirdre’s second Kilimanjaro trek and her first summit attempt as a trip leader. Our lead guide from Zara, however, has apparently summited over 75 times.
A Brit by birth, Deirdre now lives in Colorado, but I get the feeling she doesn’t spend much time there. Her Sierra Club profile says that she has traveled extensively in Asia and has led expeditions in Nepal, England, Greece, and of course, Tanzania. It continues: “When not hiking, she barters her labor for organic veggies on a local CSA farm and enjoys spending time with her husband, twelve chickens and six cats.” I suspect that she maintains a small permanent footprint in Colorado that serves mostly as a base of operations for her global adventures.* I’ve met a lot of inveterate travelers who do that.
During my hour-long phone interview with Deirdre I bragged that I jog 6-9 miles a week, minimum, and that I’m planning to ramp up the mileage as we near our departure date. Alas, she was not impressed. “Walking is what we’ll be doing on the mountain, Brian,” she gently scolded, “so walking is how we should train.” She isn’t wrong, but that’s not what I wanted to hear. Walking is so…so…inefficient. But I’ll save that gripe for another post.
Ever since that phone conversation, the phrase “Deirdre would not approve” has become a tagline for me and Monica. When Mo’ catches me coming back from a short jog instead of a long walk, I hear about it: “Deidre would not approve.” And when I catch Mo’ lifting weights instead of walking, she gets it right back: “Deidre would not approve.”
Ever since that phone conversation, the phrase “Deirdre would not approve” has become a tagline for me and Monica. When Mo’ catches me coming back from a short jog instead of a long walk, I hear about it: “Deidre would not approve.” And when I catch Mo’ lifting weights instead of walking, she gets it right back: “Deidre would not approve.”
We find this especially amusing because, as far as we can tell, Deirdre’s a sweetheart, not a drill sergeant. Her emails are warmly agreeable, and she charmed our socks off during our respective phone interviews. With her British accent and her kindly, familial demeanor, being questioned by Deirdre is a bit like having a chat with Dame Maggie Smith. And who wouldn’t enjoy that?
Nevertheless, our new tagline has become such a useful tool for expressing mild opprobrium that Mo’ and I have begun employing it in grossly unrelated contexts. “Hey! You took the last of the coffee! Deirdre would not approve.” Or “Honey, you forgot to run the dishwasher...again. Deidre would not approve.”
Yesterday I dropped egg on the kitchen floor and was wiping it up just as Mo’ walked in. I knew what was coming even before I saw the smirk on her face. We said it together: “Deirdre would not approve.”
Nevertheless, our new tagline has become such a useful tool for expressing mild opprobrium that Mo’ and I have begun employing it in grossly unrelated contexts. “Hey! You took the last of the coffee! Deirdre would not approve.” Or “Honey, you forgot to run the dishwasher...again. Deidre would not approve.”
Yesterday I dropped egg on the kitchen floor and was wiping it up just as Mo’ walked in. I knew what was coming even before I saw the smirk on her face. We said it together: “Deirdre would not approve.”
* I kid you not: While drafting this blog entry I received an email from Deirdre announcing to our group that she will be out of contact for most of April. Seems our globetrotting leader is sneaking in a trip to Nepal before meeting us in Tanzania.