Travel. A Disappearing Memory.

I've been reflecting a lot lately on my travels and travel in general.
One thing that is hard for me to understand is how it is possible to be somewhere, living it up, exploring, serving, totally emerged in the moment and then, it's gone.
A day passes, a week, and it feels as a balloon floating further and further away. Sometimes it feels like the trip never happened. You come back, get into the swing of things, and it's back to the daily grind.
But, it did happen. You were there. You lived it. So why do the memories seem so distant?
When I travel I try to find the balance between taking pictures to help keep my memories and being there in full. That can be hard at times. I so wish I could have a perfect memory right now and truly remember every trip, person, and experience but for now I rely on my journal and photos.
Anyway, I think time is a trippy thing. It plays with your mind.
I also think that is why travel is so luring. You go, it fades, you need to go again. Dare I compare it to a high? A fix?
Those who travel know.
Time.
So weird.

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Africa: Final Thoughts

From the words of those on my trip:

"I woke up surrounded by the orphans, as they had piled on the mattresses and blankets Matt, Carolyn, and I laid out for them for sleeping the night before. The oldest ones of the 60 were already up and gone, but all the little ones still laid there soundly sleeping together as the 6:30am Ugandan sunrise started to seep into the mud and brick building we built for them last year. No one puts them to sleep or makes sure they've been tucked in; they grow up resilient and taking care of each other the best they can, but life is different and difficult when there's almost no adults. I get up and see the morning start to turn into day as the heat of the African sun starts to peak over the mountain tops surrounding the school we're constructing and orphanage home. Some of the orphans are with one of the few teachers who has come to help get the porridge ready for breakfast, some are washing their clothes by hand. Most of the children only have their school uniform and one other outfit making laundry a difficult and constant job. Then a little girl sees I'm awake and runs to me, giving me a hug and a proud smile and says, "Mai Suzi your water is ready". One of them had gone down the mountain to get me water so I could take a bucket shower. As I stood in a makeshift latrine turned shower with a heavy bucket of water than a 9 year old had gone alone and gotten for me, I felt incredibly humbled and recommitted to help those placed in my path. What a beautiful place full of laughter and joy and hardship and quiet struggles and optimism. There are places I've stood that I will remember and feel changed forever by and this place is one of them. We are $1,400 short of our first fundraiser to work on income generating projects and classrooms for these beautiful babes." -suzanne

"The word "Refugee" has so much more depth and meaning to me after getting a chance to spend a brief moment in a community of Refugees in Uganda. Their stories and situations are one that no one should have to face in a life time and I find myself laying awake in bed thinking about what I can do to help. This little boy stole my ❤️as he was standing in a crowd of refugees patiently waiting our arrival. Witnessing such a magnitude of poverty can feel discouraging at times...how can a mother of three young children at home be able to make the slightest difference in people living across the globe? That night I had a dream (I am blaming the malaria pills) and saw myself helping the local refugees who have been relocated to my community from different parts of the world. I got to know them on a personal level and we became friends during a time of transition in their life that can be so isolating. I realized I CAN make an impact daily and am determined to find more ways of getting my family involved. #theugandaproject #dogood #lighttheworld #livetolove #refugees" -Cristi

"Double post cause procrastinating homework and there have been lots of feelings today/promise this is the last Africa post for a while: There was one day where we were riding in the bus after we'd gotten done with a few projects and I just thought, "Screw it. There's so much poverty. There's so much work here to do. We're not even putting a drop in the bucket. There's no way we can help everyone here." Blah blah blah complaints. Then a thought popped in my mind that was basically, "Ya you're right. You're not gonna save everyone. That's been taken care of by Someone a long time ago. But you can help one person. And that one person can help someone else. You're not here to save the world, you're here to change someone's life in a little way and hopefully start a ripple. So stop crying and get out there and serve better, even if it's just for the one. Cause heavens knows Jesus would have suffered everything he did, would have felt everything he felt, and would done everything he did, even if it was just for the one. Even if it was just for you." So while my time in Uganda was short and I'm nowhere near an expert on creating change, I just wanna say that I know it's possible. I saw so many people on that trip work and serve and love on levels that I hope to achieve one day. I felt God's individual love for the people out there. I learned that God doesn't want us to do everything for everyone; just to do what we can for who we can. Happy Sunday🙏🏼" -Brytaney

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Africa: The Journey Home

The next two days, yes, TWO DAYS, are dedicated to getting me home. And we thought the journey here was rough. However, as exhausted, cranky, and upset as I was on the way here, I would totally do it again for the experience. And I thought I was done with big travel. Ha! I will however stay committed to paying more to shorten the journey.
Thinking about the next 41 hours makes me want to cry. Probably because I've been going for 10 days now with limited sleep, cold showers, and carb loaded food that comes on its own schedule. My body is in so much pain right now. Spending countless hours trying to sleep on buses in odd positions and on weird mattresses with a travel neck pillow... wow it hurts. However, as I think of the pain in my body I'm immediately humbled by the pain in all the children I saw. At least I had a pillow and mattress. It's hard to keep perspective when we live where we do.
Anyway, I arrive to the airport at 7am in the van. As we pull in I have to get out of the car while it is searched and walk through a metal detector on the side of the road. Then I get back in the car and proceed to the drop off.
Now I'm on my own.
I enter the airport and get into a huge line but there is no Kenya Airways check in... it's not like I missed it, there are maybe 4 check in counters. I ask around and learn that Kenya Airways had a crash last night so all flights were stopped. People from yesterday's flights are all still waiting so they haven't even bothered to open the check in counters. After about an hour they begin to check people in. No word on what to do about the flight. I checked in at 9:10, my flight was to leave at 9. Okay. I walk into the very tiny airport and look at the monitor: the flight isn't even listed. I find a man who tells me to go to gate 2. Ok. Through security, and sit. A man tells me the flight will arrive soon. I then learn from a lady that she has been here since 5pm yesterday!
I decide to leave the waiting room and attempt to make change to take bills home to my kids. It works nicely here bc they have small bills: 1,000 shillings is like 30 cents.
So I begin the process starting with 20,000 I buy a water and ask for small change. Shortly I realize that 1. Not many people have change and 2. There aren't enough cheap things for me to buy to make enough change.
I decided to hit every single store and try for small bills. It took about 40 minutes and a lot of begging and being turned down before I had 25 small bills. That last one was hard to find but I couldn't leave just one kid hanging.
By the way this is the first trip where absolutely no shopping happened and I loved that. I only bring back money from places I travel anyway: seems like a good investment.
After this I went back through security to the waiting area. Guess what? I'm finally on the plane. It's 11:30.
when I was preparing for the Kenya layover I was feeling really unsettled about it and promptings that I couldn't fully understand so I decided to wait until arriving in Kenya before booking a hotel or safari etc and boy I'm glad I listened! I wouldnhave been sad if I had paid a ton of money for safari or hotel and then didn't get to Kenya until... well... I'm not sure when we will get there.
Over and out.
Next stop: Kenya.

I made it to Kenya. I killed awhile walking around familiarizing myself with the airport and finding internet. I decided I was too tired, uncomfortable, and uneasy to leave the airport with only 6-7 hours. I found a place with air and tried to get comfy. Problem is they were hard seats with gaps inbetween so my hips got stuck. I think that my neck has something pulled in it. So painful. Maybe I already said that, it's been a long day. So I made myself comfy and started to play around on the internet. Bought a pair of jeans with some cyber Monday deals. Then lucky for me MK had a long bus ride to some ancient temple of sacrifice in Mexico so we chatted three hours away. That was a blessing in itself. However, during our chat the man pictured above really freaked me out. He just appeared above my face and started to chat but I couldn't understand a word he said. At one point he grabbed my leg. I think he was drunk. Then he said something about me being here all day and why I was still there and he had seen me. After mumbling I got the word glass. He wanted a glass and came back with one full of brown liquid and he wanted me to drink it. Um no way I'm getting roofied in the airport. Problem is I try to have manners and be nice but in situations like these it's okay to be mean. I did a pretend phone call and left. Pretty sure I actually left MK a message but who knows. I killed a bunch more hours. Ate a banana, I'm hungry. I think that's all I've had today but it was a banana or

Which is apparently Carl's Jr. and I don't eat that so yeah. Then I ran into creepy man again. Thank goodness for women's bathrooms. Just another great reason to have gender. Finally it came time To go to the gate. They do security weird here. You have to go through twice as if something bad will happen in the airport. They took away my water bottle. Lame. At 8:40 when the plane was to leave we began boarding.
10.5 hours here we go.
Next stop: dar salaam or something and then off to Zurich. I hope we aren't too late as I do plan to leave the airport in Zurich!
I might be back in a few hours if I start to lose it. Until then. Ciao.

It has been 10.5 hours. A screaming child. Seats that are in your lap. Knee and neck pain. I slept for a combined 2 hours of head nodding.
The sickness is starting to set in and I've been up for 26 hours. And the day before slept for a broken few hours in a bus.
I'm so tired.
Time for landing.
all I want to do is curl up on the floor and sleep but how many times are you in Zurich?
Praying I can hold myself together for a few hours.

It's gorgeous here! I forgot how much I love Europe! The cobblestone streets, the churches, the architecture and the food! However it is 20 degrees. I have leggings and a zip up like yoga hoodie. Freezing. I didn't last long but my tour of old town Zurich was beautiful. I ended up in a book store with a $10 cup of hot chocolate, which I don't even like, but coming from 80-90 degree weather to this and I'm freezing my tush off. This is a great place for a stop over by the way. The train to downtown is literally in the airport. It's only 15 minutes away so even if your layover is short you can visit Zurich for a bit. Took me about 40 min though to figure out how to get back to the airport. The train station is massive. I also look homeless. So there's that. Europe! I must come back for you! Just love this continent!
Also talk about a stark contrast from Uganda. Red clay roads and huts to cobblestone streets and grand architecture. Side of the road cows and butcher shops to bakeries and coffe shops. People in dirty and tattered clothes to Gucci. Literally one of the poorest countries to one of the richest in the world. Yowza.

There is no one in the middle seat. I repeat there is no one in the middle seat! Hallelujah we have space! Now let's hope the man on the aisle doesn't mind that I'm totally going to lay down and get close. I'm sure he'll understand. For now a rest up and legs on the free seat. Movie time while waiting for lunch.
Ice cream!
A nap!
Pizza!
haha. This has been the best flight of all but 12.5 hours and I didn't leave my seat once. I can't really feel my butt. Hopefully when the time comes I can stand, and find a bathroom!
Now, time to land, go through customs, wait for the bus, take the bus through traffic, get my car and drive home!
Bed... you are so close. I cannot wait!
AMERICA!

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