Well, no turning back now! After a long few flights I am FINALLY in Africa. Im not quite in Kenya yet but at this point...a two hour flight sounds like a piece of cake.
The flight consisted of multiple children screaming...running up and down the aisles...kicking my seat...oh and throwing up but I cant be mad...I wasn't exactly ecstatic to be cooped up in a plane for all that time either. Other than that, once I figured out I could listen to Jason Aldean and watch a documentary on African wildlife, I was pretty content. And when I found out I could listen to Beyonce...I was over the moon happy! This whole no iPod thing has been workin out so far.
So besides all these minor details...I have to tell you all about my seat partner. She was born and raised in Africa but has lived in North Carolina, Minnesota (shoutout to Sarah Kolb...she knew where St. Cloud was!), and she now lives in Seattle, Washington. Get this, she has been married for six years but her husband lives in Africa and they have lived separately since a mere three months after their wedding. They travel back and forth and have a four year old son but you cant imagine the challenges she has faced.
She knew I was writing a blog and had confided in me so much that she asked me not to write her story so out of respect for her I wont. I just had to share a snippet about this amazing young woman who let a complete stranger into her life when she didnt have to. She educated me on her Muslim faith while I attempted to translate some words from French to English for her and she also gave me some tips for my trip. She is about to have an exciting but difficult trip in Africa and all I ask is that you keep this woman in your prayers. She kept telling me how fragile women are and how we are not as strong as men...but Nimo, I must say you are one strong, independent woman and I admired you from the moment you started telling your story.
Sitting at the aiport in Addis Ababa, I am already surrounded by a culture so different than my own and it's nerveracking of course but if the people I have encountered already are any indication of those who I will meet, I couldn't be in better hands.
See you soon Kenya!
