Thoughts Everyone Has While Traveling

Habari!

So I made it to Zanzibar after over 28 hours of traveling, which was exhausting but totally worth it when I saw the sunset over the ocean that first night (see below).  More updates soon, but this is a quick overview of the experience, my first time traveling abroad by myself.  

The itinerary for this trip was flying from Boston to DC at 5:45am, then DC to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and then Addis to Zanzibar, where I got in at a little after 3pm the next day.  

1. The night before: I’M GOING ON AN ADVENTURE.  (insert GIF from the Hobbit here)

2. I CAN’T SLEEP I’M TOO EXCITED

3. But I actually need sleep though

4. Crap, it’s 11pm.  I need to wake up at 2am to catch my flight

5. *alarm goes off* Why is my phone ringing?

6. Ugh, right, I need to leave the country in a few hours

7. I’ll just snooze for 10 minutes, I’m going to need that beauty sleep 

8. AAAAHHHHH I SNOOZED IT FOR LIKE 45 MINUTES

9. Just put enough makeup on to not look like a zombie

10. Leggings are the best thing ever for flying

11. I really hope I didn't forget anything important

12. I’m at the airport at 3am, the check-in kiosk isn't even open yet

13. Now they’re open, no one looks friendly.  Probably mad about having to be here at 3am.

14. My bag is overweight.  

15. It can’t cost that much for an overweight bag

16. Oh wait, this is an international flight

17. AN EXTRA TWO POUNDS COSTS $200?????

18. Good thing I brought an extra duffel!

19. I need coffee

20. Why do I always have to pee right when they call for boarding?

21. I’m the only white person in my terminal

22. There’s some awesome African tribal music playing on the plane 

23. Talking to an Ethiopian college student on the plane, he told me about how the Ethiopian school system works.  You basically take an aptitude test at the end of your last year of high school and along with that select from ten professions and place them in order of preference.  Depending on your score, you will be placed at a university that educates in one of the professions, and the higher your score, the higher of preference of profession you will attend university for.  

24. I just watched the sun rise in Africa from the plane!

25. I’m actually feeling kind of uncomfortable wearing leggings on this plane because everyone else is in loose clothing – can’t wait to get my skirt on

26. I've been pronouncing Addis Ababa wrong for months (it’s AH-dis not ah-DEES for the record)

27. Two hour layover = awesome peoplewatching at Addis

28. With the security at Addis, it seems like almost anyone can get on whatever plane they want.  They didn't even check my passport.

29. Am I even on the right plane?

30. Phew, yes I am 

31. I’M FLYING OVER TANZANIA I’M ALMOST DONE TRAVELING

32. There’s no way my bags made it

33. The Tanzanian mountains are insanely gorgeous, especially from the sky

34. Getting off the plane, I can’t breathe, so humid!

35. The Zanzibar airport is literally the size of my house

36. THEY DIDN’T LOOSE MY LUGGAGE IT’S A MIRACLE

37. The exchange rate means I could bathe in shillings if I really wanted to 

38. They drive on the opposite side of the road 

39. My hotel is in sight, thank god

40. *sleeps for six hours*

My first few days of orientation have been amazing, I'll try to post about them soon!

Kim