Even after staying up wayyyyyy too late, I woke up at 7am. I got to spend some time with Nandry in the morning, and we played a little Uno, and then did some beading with our beach shells. We made some fun stuff! After some lunch, it was time to face the inevitable task of the final sorting and packing, and getting ready to go to the airport. I put on some good music, and got to work, and was done in enough time to have a few minutes of calm quiet before the storm.
Then it was time to get ready to go.
Younde has public running water, but it is not always so consistent. This is Africa we are talking about, but where we were staying, the CTC (Cameroon Training Center) run by Wycliffe Bible Associates, has a backup system of cisterns. Apparently they have been relying on it heavily in recent weeks, and so it, too, was very low. By the time I went to shower, the water was only coming out in a trickle. Thankfully, the Conrods are used to planning ahead for such situations, and Nathan had filled up a bucket as a backup the day before. So I was able to do what I needed to do. And by the time I was out (not very long) there was no running water left at all. Crazy. Later I found out I could have showered at the CMF Youth Hostel that my friends, Gord and Denise, run...they are so hospitable. :-) But I was clean before my 30+ hours of travel, so it all worked out. :-)
Anyway, after praying and saying our final goodbyes, I left for the airport with Nathan, who worked his way past the airport people and was able to help me with check in and baggage and stuff. I was so glad he was there, because they only had me ticketed through Brussels, and he helped when my bag weights were a little off balance. After talking with the airline people and a phone call, they got my ticketing and luggage tags straight, and it was time for my final goodbye!
All my flights were uneventful and ran mostly on time. I met and observed interesting people. I was able to access my gmail on my kindle in Brussels, which was a first for me and really cool! I had my first pear in 6 months in Brussels, and my first latte from Starbucks.
Just seeing the Starbucks logo was like a GIANT welcome home sign. :-)
I had more ticket troubles in Brussels, and had to have my boarding passes re-issued by United, rather than use those issued by Brussels Airlines. And they subjected us to the U.S. security questions (did you pack your bag yourself, etc.).
I managed to sleep on my first flight (during the night) and to stay up for most of my eight hour trans-Atlantic flight (departing at noon and arriving at like 2:30pm, that felt weird). I listened to part of an audiobook of the book Switch, which was REALLY interesting. And I watched a really compelling movie called Machine Gun Preacher. DISCLAIMER: It is rated R and for plenty of good reasons. That said, it is very "real" and very little is gratuitous. I have actually been to Kampala in Uganda, which they talk about in the movie, which was crazy for my brain. It really was a GREAT story, and is based on the true story of Sam Childers, which you can check out here. And then we were touching down in D.C.! I was ready to kiss the ground I was so excited to be back where I don't have to think about everything that I do in order to not make some social or other flub - it was like taking a giant sigh of relief! (I didn't actually kiss the ground; I had the presence of mind that it was not THAT clean, LOL) As I approached immigration with a giant grin on my face, a lady smiled at me who works at the airport, and asked, "U.S. Citizen?" I answered, "Yes!" And she smiled more and replied, "Welcome back!" Great moment. :-)
Customs and security was a dream, and I practically waltzed through, since I was running on excitement and adrenaline. And all the sights and sounds I had forgotted about! Like the automatic flushing toilets that always flush too soon...LOL In fact, here's a quick list I made:
Food smells, especially Wendy's fries and Five Guys (right by my gate!)
Auntie Annie's Pretzels
I didn't notice the AC immediately, but it snuck up on me :-)
Do-it-yourself vs. service (even on the plane) [related: the independence]
Personal space (mentioned on the plane by flight attendants...humorous)
sarcastic, playing humor (flight attendants)
U.S. security check points (it is so lax and disorganized and inconsistent in Africa)
Moving walkways
Safety warnings everywhere and on silly things
functioning escalators (they are actually motion activated in Brussels...smart!)
signage in English
faster wi-fi!
That's about it!
Once I got my coffee fix and online fix in D.C., it was time to board.
I was almost home! I started crashing, and dozed a bit, and then we started our descent!
I was greeted with flowers and a giant stop sign (if you have known me since the days of Axel and Gadget, you might know what I am talking about :-)) and lots and lots of hugs! My accountability team, mom, and cousin Megan were all there to greet me! I felt so loved! I was so tired I was half incoherent, but they helped me gather my bags and get them to the car.
I came home to my mom's to a wonderful steak, broccoli, and sweet potato dinner. Soooooo gooooooood.
And I was out by 10, up by 5. Is this night owl trying for early bird status? STRANGE..... :-)
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