Well the stories and intrigue have already begun. To think
my travels began on January 3 and I am only now beginning an experience in
Rwanda is strange. The journey here was slightly smoother than I anticipated
but only by the slightest.
As I ate breakfast at the hotel on the 3rd
preparing for my flight over I received a phone call informing my first flight
had been cancelled. Which of course is the only flight that was not booked all
together in my travel. Therefore missing this flight was going to cause slight
problems. Luckily I made arrangements with the airport and only had to make
slight changes to the journey. For
the inconvenience they decided my bags would not be deemed overweight and would
not have to pay the additional $90 in overage fees.
By the time I landed in Newark I had come to realize that I
brought a camera but no camera battery charger. Therefore, would be doomed to
have little pictures of my 5 month journey. The airport electronics store of
course happened to sell out of my type of charger before my arrival and forced
me into buying a new camera. And
the expenses begin.
I originally believed that my flights would be great
sleeping times; however, I was incredibly wrong. My 5-hour flight to Brussels
began at 6pm. We landed around 1am US time. I therefore, never slept, which of
course was a huge mistake. My next 8-hour flight was a daytime flight that
would land my in Rwanda 8pm local time. The challenge would be staying awake
for the rest of t he 36 hour experience.
I of course failed miserably. The only bright side was that the small
children on the plane for some reason were fascinated by me and continued to
come running up to me and touching me. Therefore, although I napped on the plane
ride I never experienced a deep sleep.
My flights brought me to the reality this was happening. I
was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean utterly alone. There was no turning
back now. Whatever was happening was going ahead. Nerves filled me and the realization
I had no one to talk about them with because I had no ability to contact anyone
I knew. My worst fears continued as I stepped off the plane in Rwanda. I looked
around totally exhausted unable to find someone holding a sign with my name on
it.
I stood awkwardly outside Kigali International Airport
unsure of what to do next. I had been promised all my arrangements had been
made and I was to do nothing. Nevertheless, that moment outside felt like an
eternity. Taxi drivers bombarded me asking me for a ride. If I even knew where
I was supposed to be going I would have taken them up on my offer. My money was
spilt throughout my luggage and trying to pull it out and exchange it seemed
impossible. Who was I to trust? Where was I to go? I had not money, phone, or
way to communicate my problem.
As I was on the verge of finding a phone when a slight man
came out of the airport with a paper sign in his hand. I barely could read the
typing, as it was fold-up. Thankfully, my unique name makes it easy to spot. The man grabbed my bags and loaded them
into a World Relief Range Rover. I was one my way with a gentleman I did not
know.
Solomon was kind. He attempted to show me places on the car
ride with his broken English. He dropped me off at a hotel in the US Embassy
compound where the Kigali World Relief office is located. A kind woman gave me
towels, Internet, and offered me supper. I filled out forms unsure of what I
was doing. I was utterly exhausted and still more traveling awaited me.
I attempted to contact my mother to inform her I was alive
and try and take a shower to feel alive again. Of course I open my bags to find
my toothpaste has exploded in one pocket, my face-wash in another, and my
shampoo in a third. What a mess I had created. This wasn’t my home I couldn’t
unpack and clean it up. It would have to wait. I was far to exhaust to manage
this situation. I showered and climbed into bed. I drifted into a strange
sleep, unsure of my surroundings or what was happening.
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