So last weekend was Mole National Park.
We met outside at 5am Friday morning to catch the bus, which only fitting of the national sense of time here, arrived about 5:30. Not only was it later than expected, it was smaller than expected. Instead of the tour buses we have used in the past, this bus was smaller, the only storage being the top of the bus. I can remember thinking at least it is going to be an adventure.
We finally departed about an hour behind schedule. Vivian, our wonderful tour guide/responsible adult, bid us good morning and informed us that the journey would take 10 to 14 hours. We were thankful for the air conditioning.
Most of the roads in Africa are dirt, and sorry roads at that. Solomon, our driver, did his best to get us there in a timely fashion and still keep the bus in one piece (easier said than done). I am sure that he puts Nascar to shame. He can dodge potholes, dogs, large rocks, and small children better than most drivers can warm their tires. Incredible.
We made a few stops on the way: breakfast at a reststop, potty break on the side of the road (most of us were tricked into believing there was actually a bathroom lol) midmorning, lunch and break at a market somewhere (ask about the toilet facilities later- we’d love to share), stopped for traffic/construction on some dirt road in the middle of nowhere, where we managed to buy 3 huge carrots for 1 cedi from a lady off the side of the road (I’m pretty sure the bus about bought her out) and about 10 oranges for a cedi (just in case you were wondering 1 Ghana cedi = about 70 US cents… crazy I know), and probably several other interesting stops before we got there.
So after 14 hours, several stops, and lots of naps, we finally reached Mole (pronounced Mo-lay)! It was almost 9pm. We ordered supper… we’ll most people did but Karlie and I had eaten so much on the ride already and we thought that 9cedi for a meal was absolutely ridiculous (spoiled by local vendors) that we decided to pass on supper and go to bed.
We got up early in the morning for our walking tour of a small portion of the park. As soon as we set foot outside, it began to sink it where exactly we were. Africa is most beautiful in the mornings. She cool and quiet, it is the best part of the day. As if the view over the thousands of Acres wasn’t amazing enough there were warthogs sniffing around right outside our rooms. Sweet!
We met our guide, DK, he gave us the rundown on the history of the park, and we set out walking. I wish you could see what we saw; it won’t sound nearly as cool to read it. First of all we saw some crocodiles around the watering hole but never managed to get too close because they all dove into the water. We walked further and saw all kinds of birds and deer-like creatures. There were cattle egrets, eagles, cob, waterbuck, and bushbuck. We continued walking. It was clear that DK was on the search for elephants and we were all hoping to see them as well. DK was very observant, he pointed out many animal prints in the dirt and even showed us the tracks of a leopard dragging its prey (how cool). He was a middle-aged man and looked like he enjoyed his job. He wore the green park uniform and boots, and he carried his gun carefully, making sure to never point it at any of us. He gladly answered our questions and was obviously very knowledgeable about the park and all that resides there. We had been walking for close to an hour when he said we would start back towards the watering hole and hope to catch up to the elephants soon. It was still only about 8am but the African sun was starting at its daily work. I think everyone was a little worried that we wouldn’t get to see any elephants. I think DK was more worried though. He was on his cell phone a lot with the other guides trying to find out if they had seen any.
We were walking along as normal when he came back to the back of the line and said, “this way!” He was pointing through so many trees we couldn’t see what he was after, but after walking a little ways we finally spotted them. ELEPHANTS! We quickly caught up to them and began taking pictures. DK instructed us to stay together and keep our distance, but we were so much closer than I thought we would be able to get. They were probably within 30 yards. Everyone was taking pictures and DK made sure we had the best shots possible. He called the other groups and told them where to find us and the elephants and everyone got a chance to see them up close. Crazy! We walked with them back to the watering hole. They were two males that DK said (without hesitation) were about 55-56 years old. We were very impressed with him, so our group decided to do a 4x4 tour with him later in the afternoon.
We hiked back up the hill to our rooms, only to discover there was a baboon strolling along the back porch of our motel, fervently checking every door to see if it was unlocked (glad we fixed our lock the night before). When he was unsuccessful he then began to raid the trashcans. Pretty soon there were a few families of baboons (babies included) running around our motel, really putting on a show. Only in Africa. We finally made it over for breakfast which was free (thank goodness) and then made our journey to Larabanga, a nearby town which is home to the oldest mosque in Ghana. We walked around the village there for a while, met the people, and took pictures of the mosque (built in 1410 from clay-mud- incredible)! Then we made the journey back to Mole to take a nap before our afternoon excursion.
Totally worth it. Even though the 8 of us (plus the driver and DK) were packed into the back of a Land Rover for 2 hours, the 4x4 tour was awesome as well. We saw a new deer-like animal, an owl, red monkeys, baboons, lots of warthogs, and a herd of female elephants!
We ate supper and crashed early Saturday night. We were leaving early again.
The journey back wasn’t too bad. We stopped at Kintampo Falls to check out the waterfall, some of us even swam. We also stopped for lunch in Kumasi (another large city in Ghana). But, as soon as we got outside of Kumasi on the way back, one of our friends got sick. He had been feeling ill for several days but this was worse. He was pretty sick for the next hour or so of driving and we finally decided to take him to a nearby hospital (Konongo –Something- Government Hospital). Two of the girls and Vivian stayed with him overnight at the hospital. Vivian decided there was no point in all of waiting for him so she was going to send us back with Solomon… except Solomon wasn’t at the bus anymore; he had reasoned that we would be here for at minimum an hour and had decided he would wait just down the street at a local bar. Nice. So know we were leaving and Solomon had just started drinking good. Lol. Oh Ghana.
(Momma, if you decide to read the next paragraph, please don’t worry… and please, please don’t tell Mummum)
Needless to say, we were all tired and ready to be back. The delay wasn’t helping our moods any, and apparently Solomon was feeling our pain. We asked him how long til we made it back to campus. He said 4 hours. Two and half hours later, we were back. To say the least, speed limits in Ghana are more of a suggestion than a limitation (speed limit: 80km/hr… current speed: 140km/hr). This was the first time we wore our seatbelts in Ghana. There were several points when oncoming traffic had to run off of the road to avoid hitting us. At least we were in a bus so no one challenged us. Surprisingly the only thing we hit on the journey was a small chicken… poor chicken (good thing Taylor wasn’t with us then).
Well, we made it back in one piece! It was a great trip. If you’re ever in Ghana, I definitely recommend Mole (but I recommend either bringing your own food or lots of money).
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Pretty Girl
By the time we reach middle school, girls notice the attention paid by the boys to the few girls who are “easiest on the eyes.” They are born with the looks, the personality, a certain air about them, and soon, the rest of us come to accept this hierarchy of attention. Those of us blessed with “better personalities than looks” (thanks moms) have each wondered at some point what it would be like to be “the pretty girl,” to have the boys pay us attention. But as we mature and realize that our looks won’t change enough with age to bump us up to the next category, we accept that we may never know what it is like to receive that attention. So it was with me…
…until I arrived in Ghana.
You see, in America, white is ignored (it’s average, it’s common, it’s not exciting), but in Ghana, white is exotic.
It is a very rare occasion indeed if you (a girl) manage to walk around campus for the day, (let’s not even talk about the beach) without a thousand hellos, tons of shouts of “Obruni” (“white person” in the local language), several requests for your phone number (which you always pretend you do not own), and even a marriage proposal or two (after which you flash whatever ring you may be wearing).
So this is what it’s like to be “the pretty girl.”
At first, it’s flattering to be noticed, recognized, to feel special, but that quickly changes to annoyance as you begin to question how many people are interested in being your friend, and how many are interested in you being their friend. Who wants to get to know you and who simply wants to be seen with you?
Unreal. This is a struggle I never thought I would see.
It was middle school, not too long after I began to wonder what it would be like to be “the pretty girl,” that I began to understand the superficiality of the attention she receives. After a while, I became thankful, realizing that I was spared the daily question of “Does he/she really like me for me?”
So it’s ironic that here I am, nearly ten years later, fulfilling the curiosity that had provoked me as a child. And God is laughing, saying, “It’s all in My timing, Lindy. I always answer you, just rarely when you expect it.”
…until I arrived in Ghana.
You see, in America, white is ignored (it’s average, it’s common, it’s not exciting), but in Ghana, white is exotic.
It is a very rare occasion indeed if you (a girl) manage to walk around campus for the day, (let’s not even talk about the beach) without a thousand hellos, tons of shouts of “Obruni” (“white person” in the local language), several requests for your phone number (which you always pretend you do not own), and even a marriage proposal or two (after which you flash whatever ring you may be wearing).
So this is what it’s like to be “the pretty girl.”
At first, it’s flattering to be noticed, recognized, to feel special, but that quickly changes to annoyance as you begin to question how many people are interested in being your friend, and how many are interested in you being their friend. Who wants to get to know you and who simply wants to be seen with you?
Unreal. This is a struggle I never thought I would see.
It was middle school, not too long after I began to wonder what it would be like to be “the pretty girl,” that I began to understand the superficiality of the attention she receives. After a while, I became thankful, realizing that I was spared the daily question of “Does he/she really like me for me?”
So it’s ironic that here I am, nearly ten years later, fulfilling the curiosity that had provoked me as a child. And God is laughing, saying, “It’s all in My timing, Lindy. I always answer you, just rarely when you expect it.”
Cape Coast and Kakum National Park
Cape Coast (Saturday, January 30, 2010)
After crashing super early Friday night after supper at the Night Market didn’t agree with me, I got up about 6 am to the already broken day outside to start packing for our trip. We walked to the Night Market about 8am to stock up on snacks and breakfast (2 egg sandwiches, 2 loaves of bread, juice, 1.5 L water, and cookies all for about $4 U.S.) and then loaded the tour bus. It took us about 3 hours to reach Cape Coast after crazy Saturday traffic and a pit stop at a very nice bathroom. We pulled into the university there for a (delicious) lunch of your choice of chicken/fish and plain/fried/jolaf rice. Then we set out for the slave castle there. The tour was informative and thought-provoking. I couldn’t begin to get my mind around how difficult that was for the people who passed through those dungeons and tunnels. The will power that they must have possessed to get through such horrors is beyond me. As we emerged from the dungeons to the beauty of the coastline just outside the walls, it was ironically fitting that the polar opposites lay so closely. You could feel freedom in the waves, the breeze, the beauty of the sunshine; all the while you could feel the pain of slavery in the strain of your eyes in the dark rooms, the stench of the dungeons, and the hopelessness of the future that the castle presented. It almost seemed wrong to smile for pictures.
After our tour, we hopped back on the bus and headed for our hotel for the night, which turned out to be a botel (whatever that means). It was located way out of the way but was close to Kakum (our destination for Sunday) and has excellent accommodations. There was a pool for swimming and hot water for showers. Some of the rooms even had air conditioning. A pond was located out front with a path around it so that you could get a better look at the crocodiles, of which there were apparently about 40. Some of us even pet a baby one who had come up on the bank. That is where we met Melissa (of Canada) and Alex (of England). We spent most of the night talking with them about movies, television, fast food, and other cultural issues of importance, while Judith and Mitch waited for their food. A band played throughout the evening and Evan even joined them on the drums once or twice before we all called it quits.
Kakum National Park (Sunday, January 31, 2010)
So we woke up about 6 this morning to the sound of thousands of birds outside. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was still at the botel. Karlie and I were the only ones up in our room and we tried our best not to wake anyone. We took showers, spent a little time reading and then headed to breakfast with Judith. Fresh orange juice. Toast, butter, marmalade, fried eggs, pineapple. Yum.
Mitch, Judith, Karlie, and I sat with Melissa and Alex, our two friends from the night before, and once again compared cultural differences. We didn’t have long before we had to say our goodbyes, pack up, and load the bus. We headed for Kakum National Park. We arrived a little early and had time to check out the gift shop before the hike up to the canopy walk. Our tour guide, “Fred,” told us a little about the rainforest and then we headed up to the canopy walk. It was composed of 6 or 7 bridges suspended by cables and rope, with aluminum ladders overlaid with 2x6s as a floor. It was plenty sturdy, but of course it shook and swayed. We all took lots of pictures (when we dared) and laughed and joked with each other as we enjoyed the scenery. I still couldn’t believe we are in Africa. Will it ever sink in?
Once we were on the bus, we were all ready for lunch. Again, we stopped at the restaurant on campus at Cape Coast, but this time I got fish and chips (man have I missed grease and ketchup). We ate quickly so that we could make it back to campus before the Ghana match at 4. We barely made it (3:57) and we all settled down to watch the match. It was the final game in the African Cup of Nations; we played Egypt, and we won’t talk about how it ended. Let’s just say it was a lot quieter tonight than it could have been.
We talked to Momma and Daddy, it was really good to hear their voices and get caught up on what’s been happening there. Apparently, we are missing about 8 inches of snow at home right now. :( Oh well, you can’t have it all. We are praying for Momma’s safe day tomorrow at work and anyone traveling on the roads. But please, enjoy the snow! :)
Miss yall!
After crashing super early Friday night after supper at the Night Market didn’t agree with me, I got up about 6 am to the already broken day outside to start packing for our trip. We walked to the Night Market about 8am to stock up on snacks and breakfast (2 egg sandwiches, 2 loaves of bread, juice, 1.5 L water, and cookies all for about $4 U.S.) and then loaded the tour bus. It took us about 3 hours to reach Cape Coast after crazy Saturday traffic and a pit stop at a very nice bathroom. We pulled into the university there for a (delicious) lunch of your choice of chicken/fish and plain/fried/jolaf rice. Then we set out for the slave castle there. The tour was informative and thought-provoking. I couldn’t begin to get my mind around how difficult that was for the people who passed through those dungeons and tunnels. The will power that they must have possessed to get through such horrors is beyond me. As we emerged from the dungeons to the beauty of the coastline just outside the walls, it was ironically fitting that the polar opposites lay so closely. You could feel freedom in the waves, the breeze, the beauty of the sunshine; all the while you could feel the pain of slavery in the strain of your eyes in the dark rooms, the stench of the dungeons, and the hopelessness of the future that the castle presented. It almost seemed wrong to smile for pictures.
After our tour, we hopped back on the bus and headed for our hotel for the night, which turned out to be a botel (whatever that means). It was located way out of the way but was close to Kakum (our destination for Sunday) and has excellent accommodations. There was a pool for swimming and hot water for showers. Some of the rooms even had air conditioning. A pond was located out front with a path around it so that you could get a better look at the crocodiles, of which there were apparently about 40. Some of us even pet a baby one who had come up on the bank. That is where we met Melissa (of Canada) and Alex (of England). We spent most of the night talking with them about movies, television, fast food, and other cultural issues of importance, while Judith and Mitch waited for their food. A band played throughout the evening and Evan even joined them on the drums once or twice before we all called it quits.
Kakum National Park (Sunday, January 31, 2010)
So we woke up about 6 this morning to the sound of thousands of birds outside. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was still at the botel. Karlie and I were the only ones up in our room and we tried our best not to wake anyone. We took showers, spent a little time reading and then headed to breakfast with Judith. Fresh orange juice. Toast, butter, marmalade, fried eggs, pineapple. Yum.
Mitch, Judith, Karlie, and I sat with Melissa and Alex, our two friends from the night before, and once again compared cultural differences. We didn’t have long before we had to say our goodbyes, pack up, and load the bus. We headed for Kakum National Park. We arrived a little early and had time to check out the gift shop before the hike up to the canopy walk. Our tour guide, “Fred,” told us a little about the rainforest and then we headed up to the canopy walk. It was composed of 6 or 7 bridges suspended by cables and rope, with aluminum ladders overlaid with 2x6s as a floor. It was plenty sturdy, but of course it shook and swayed. We all took lots of pictures (when we dared) and laughed and joked with each other as we enjoyed the scenery. I still couldn’t believe we are in Africa. Will it ever sink in?
Once we were on the bus, we were all ready for lunch. Again, we stopped at the restaurant on campus at Cape Coast, but this time I got fish and chips (man have I missed grease and ketchup). We ate quickly so that we could make it back to campus before the Ghana match at 4. We barely made it (3:57) and we all settled down to watch the match. It was the final game in the African Cup of Nations; we played Egypt, and we won’t talk about how it ended. Let’s just say it was a lot quieter tonight than it could have been.
We talked to Momma and Daddy, it was really good to hear their voices and get caught up on what’s been happening there. Apparently, we are missing about 8 inches of snow at home right now. :( Oh well, you can’t have it all. We are praying for Momma’s safe day tomorrow at work and anyone traveling on the roads. But please, enjoy the snow! :)
Miss yall!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
London to Accra
I woke up and it was dark, all the shades were down but I couldn’t help but peaking. Just a glimpse that’s all. Ow! Light flooded in and my eyes regretted opening. After a few moments, they adjusted and I could see we were pretty much surrounded in clouds. Just about everyone was asleep: Karlie, our Greek friend, the Brazilian (just a guess) guy across the aisle, and especially the oh so content, snoring person (assumed to be male) behind me. I checked our flight status on the screen on the back of the seat in front of me and saw we had about two hours until we reached London. I went back to sleep. Breakfast came and I saved what I could because I figured we wouldn’t want to spend money in the airport.
When we began to land in London, the cloud cover was still present. Even as we descended, it was completely grey and dreary around us. We were informed that they were receiving rain. Heathrow in the rain: not such a beautiful sight. But just the same, we were happy to be halfway there.
It sounded as if Lew was the DJ for the airport, because all they seemed to play was American music and the same songs Lew had been playing and replaying in the car since we got back from Tech. I couldn’t help but laugh and sing along. We debated about finding a pay phone to call him, but decided it was too early there. We found the flight listings board and guess what… our flight was delayed. Not bad, an hour or so, but we really didn’t have anything to do. We walked for a while. We say for a while. We admired how simply different we are from the English. Everything was just so here. It was quite a fashionable airport. You could definitely pick out the Americans; we were the ones in jeans and t-shirts. Everyone else was so far ahead of us.
Finally they posted our gate number and we followed the signs to the bus/rail/thing. Boy was it fast. We got there and instantly knew we were in the right spot because nearly everyone waiting was very obviously African. What beautiful clothes the women wore! We were really excited.
We finally boarded and after 7ish more hours, a few movies, and some quiet time with God, I saw the city lights. Accra! We were almost there. It was surreal. Was this really happening? I could barely contain my excitement. Karlie just laughed at me. We landed and everyone clapped. They were all so happy to be home.
The doors opened to the sticky air. It had just rained here as well. The ground nearly steamed. It was a welcome change of environment. It took us a while to all to find our luggage, and get through customs and immigration, but we managed. Soon we found ourselves readjusting our load for the final trek out to the (hopefully) waiting ISEP representative. As I reached the corner, there before me was a familiar face. Ozzie! (Dr. Abaye) We ran and hugged her in amazement. She had managed to change her departure date at the last minute. She had a sign to welcome us and we quickly said our goodbyes as our ISEP friends escorted us to the van. We planned to meet her tomorrow.
I couldn’t believe it; she stayed for us!
We met Libby (of Montana), Shadreck (one of the orientation leaders), and the driver (whose name I still do not know) as we threw our luggage into the van. They gave us our orientation folders, toilet paper, bottled water, and food from the campus famous Tasty Treats (see pictures on facebook). We arrived and signed in to the hostel and in all the chaos attempted to call home. They didn’t answer. I couldn’t believe it. I have to admit I was a little sad. I couldn’t wait to tell them that we were there safe and sound. I left a message and gave Karlie the phone to call Mummum. Apparently Aunt Jane answered the phone and then passed it off to Mummum, which only confused us more as we passed the phone back and forth on our end too. I wish we could have talked longer but we were borrowing a phone and it was very late. We then began the voyage up to the fourth floor (which is the third in UK because you start with zero) to our room. I couldn’t believe how awesome the room was. It opens to an outdoor hallway (motel style) on one side and to a private balcony on the other. Two beds, two wardrobes, two desks, two bookshelves, two chairs, two end tables. Nice. We dropped our bags and turned on the fan. We only unpacked a little and then decided to get showers and call it a night. We would meet everyone for breakfast in the morning.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Predeparture to Take Off
First of all, I would like to apologize to all of those with whom I have failed to keep in contact. Things have been unexpectedly hectic and I have not had a chance to catch up on my journals nor have I had enough internet connection to keep up with the blog or post pictures on facebook. Slowly, however, I am learning the system here and I am beginning to catch up. Bear with me as I try to explain all that has happened here thus far. Caution: it may take several entries.
Predeparture:
Friday night (January 8th) I received a call from our STA travel agent who has faithfully checked on us and made sure things were squared away. He had just checked the flight schedule because London had been receiving a lot of snow, and discovered that along with several other flights, our flight had been cancelled. He recommended we call British Airways and see if we could reschedule. However, due to the amount of flights cancelled and therefore the number of people calling, we were unable to get through to them and decided instead to reschedule through STA. Because of our student tickets, the quickest flight we could get out was Thursday, January 14, which meant we would arrive in Accra, Ghana on Friday night around 10pm, missing the entire orientation! We were disappointed, especially since Dr. Abaye, our academic advisor at Tech, was already on her way to Ghana to meet us. Guess when she was scheduled to leave the country… Friday morning. So things weren’t quite going as planned; however, on the bright side we would get 5 more days with our family.
The next few days allowed me to tie up some lose ends: catch up with friends, spend more time with Mummum, buy new luggage, etc. We received daily updates from Dr. Abaye about her activities, who she met, and what classes she recommended for our semester here. It really helped to have her there making connections even though we could not be there ourselves. We really looked forward to her emails.
The week came and went and Thursday arrived. We were up early to finish getting together the odds and ends we needed and have breakfast with Mummum and the family. After an hour or so of hectic cramming and scrambling to get my suitcases under the weight limit, we were finally loaded in the car and took some pictures and said goodbyes. We stopped by Mummum’s to say goodbye to her. I had managed not to think about how long it would be until I saw her next but when she began to choke up as we hugged her, I began to realize the painfulness of our departure. As we drove away, I looked at Karlie and realized we were both hurting.
Three hours on the road and mapquest successfully led us to Bolling and Barbara’s house. I wasn’t sure I would recognize the house since it has probably been nearly 10 years since we last visited, but there she was, plain as day. We pulled up to Cookie barking at the front door. Aunt Barbara greeted us and we were all very excited to be there. We checked out all the latest additions to the house and caught her up on the plane cancellation situation. Uncle Bolling, Sam, and Petie arrived shortly and we all sat down to a meal that Aunt Barbara continued to reassure Sam she did not make herself. It was delicious! Ribs, asparagus (there’s a first time for everything), potato salad, bread and olive oil, salad, and then apple pie and icecream to top it all off. Yum. Soon we found ourselves wishing for more of this time together, and everyone began to talk about plans for trips to Ireland, Italy, and visits to Warrenton. I was so thankful we had a chance to spend some time with them. It wasn’t long before we were off to the airport. Petie stayed behind to answer the “Call of Duty” and the rest of us piled into the Lexus and headed to the airport. I found myself wishing I knew more of Warrenton and wishing I was more a larger part of their lives and they part of mine. It is funny how things change when you get older.
When we got to the airport, we pulled up just outside of the British Airways gate and unloaded. We took everything in and Aunt Barbara helped check us in while Uncle Bolling drove the circle and waited for us. We got our bags checked, which to my relief were apparently underweight (hard to tell when it’s in kilograms) and walked back outside to pray together before they left. I felt like we were on the brink of some great adventure, like it was some historic moment in my life, as we stood there, a family, hands joined together talking with God and praying for safe travel. The night was cool and I was beyond excited to see where this would lead.
We all hugged and said goodbye as Karlie and I headed off to go through security and find our terminal. Security was a breeze. My in domestic flights in the past have been more trouble than this was. I’m not complaining though. The airport was quiet. It was 7:30. It took us no time to get through and find our gate. Our plane was delayed about half an hour. We began to wait.
We called everyone. Momma. Amber. Momma. Daddy. Mummum. Daddy. Grandma. Momma. Lew. Karlie bought Sour Patch Watermelons and a water. We waited.
Finally we started boarding. I always enjoy watching the people board and guessing everyone’s story and where they are headed. We found our seats next to a very adorable, very kind, Greek woman who was returning to Greece after her yearly visit with children/grandchildren in Virginia. She was good company.
British treated us very well. We had good meals and we each were provided a blanket, pillow, and headphones to use for no additional charge. We were also given complimentary eye shades, toothbrush and toothpaste, and (here’s the real treat) socks! Needless to say, we were quite cozy. Take off was nothing short of magical. Yes, yes, I have flown before, but I have never left Dulles at night before. The lights were amazing. Beautiful colors lined the runway and danced as we navigated through their patterns. I remember thinking to myself. If something happens to this plane, I am ok with that. I thanked God for all the beauty of that day and especially that night and prayed that I would keep my eyes open for Him throughout this trip.
They began to serve supper. Karlie asked me if I wanted her cheesecake, but I fell fast asleep.
Predeparture:
Friday night (January 8th) I received a call from our STA travel agent who has faithfully checked on us and made sure things were squared away. He had just checked the flight schedule because London had been receiving a lot of snow, and discovered that along with several other flights, our flight had been cancelled. He recommended we call British Airways and see if we could reschedule. However, due to the amount of flights cancelled and therefore the number of people calling, we were unable to get through to them and decided instead to reschedule through STA. Because of our student tickets, the quickest flight we could get out was Thursday, January 14, which meant we would arrive in Accra, Ghana on Friday night around 10pm, missing the entire orientation! We were disappointed, especially since Dr. Abaye, our academic advisor at Tech, was already on her way to Ghana to meet us. Guess when she was scheduled to leave the country… Friday morning. So things weren’t quite going as planned; however, on the bright side we would get 5 more days with our family.
The next few days allowed me to tie up some lose ends: catch up with friends, spend more time with Mummum, buy new luggage, etc. We received daily updates from Dr. Abaye about her activities, who she met, and what classes she recommended for our semester here. It really helped to have her there making connections even though we could not be there ourselves. We really looked forward to her emails.
The week came and went and Thursday arrived. We were up early to finish getting together the odds and ends we needed and have breakfast with Mummum and the family. After an hour or so of hectic cramming and scrambling to get my suitcases under the weight limit, we were finally loaded in the car and took some pictures and said goodbyes. We stopped by Mummum’s to say goodbye to her. I had managed not to think about how long it would be until I saw her next but when she began to choke up as we hugged her, I began to realize the painfulness of our departure. As we drove away, I looked at Karlie and realized we were both hurting.
Three hours on the road and mapquest successfully led us to Bolling and Barbara’s house. I wasn’t sure I would recognize the house since it has probably been nearly 10 years since we last visited, but there she was, plain as day. We pulled up to Cookie barking at the front door. Aunt Barbara greeted us and we were all very excited to be there. We checked out all the latest additions to the house and caught her up on the plane cancellation situation. Uncle Bolling, Sam, and Petie arrived shortly and we all sat down to a meal that Aunt Barbara continued to reassure Sam she did not make herself. It was delicious! Ribs, asparagus (there’s a first time for everything), potato salad, bread and olive oil, salad, and then apple pie and icecream to top it all off. Yum. Soon we found ourselves wishing for more of this time together, and everyone began to talk about plans for trips to Ireland, Italy, and visits to Warrenton. I was so thankful we had a chance to spend some time with them. It wasn’t long before we were off to the airport. Petie stayed behind to answer the “Call of Duty” and the rest of us piled into the Lexus and headed to the airport. I found myself wishing I knew more of Warrenton and wishing I was more a larger part of their lives and they part of mine. It is funny how things change when you get older.
When we got to the airport, we pulled up just outside of the British Airways gate and unloaded. We took everything in and Aunt Barbara helped check us in while Uncle Bolling drove the circle and waited for us. We got our bags checked, which to my relief were apparently underweight (hard to tell when it’s in kilograms) and walked back outside to pray together before they left. I felt like we were on the brink of some great adventure, like it was some historic moment in my life, as we stood there, a family, hands joined together talking with God and praying for safe travel. The night was cool and I was beyond excited to see where this would lead.
We all hugged and said goodbye as Karlie and I headed off to go through security and find our terminal. Security was a breeze. My in domestic flights in the past have been more trouble than this was. I’m not complaining though. The airport was quiet. It was 7:30. It took us no time to get through and find our gate. Our plane was delayed about half an hour. We began to wait.
We called everyone. Momma. Amber. Momma. Daddy. Mummum. Daddy. Grandma. Momma. Lew. Karlie bought Sour Patch Watermelons and a water. We waited.
Finally we started boarding. I always enjoy watching the people board and guessing everyone’s story and where they are headed. We found our seats next to a very adorable, very kind, Greek woman who was returning to Greece after her yearly visit with children/grandchildren in Virginia. She was good company.
British treated us very well. We had good meals and we each were provided a blanket, pillow, and headphones to use for no additional charge. We were also given complimentary eye shades, toothbrush and toothpaste, and (here’s the real treat) socks! Needless to say, we were quite cozy. Take off was nothing short of magical. Yes, yes, I have flown before, but I have never left Dulles at night before. The lights were amazing. Beautiful colors lined the runway and danced as we navigated through their patterns. I remember thinking to myself. If something happens to this plane, I am ok with that. I thanked God for all the beauty of that day and especially that night and prayed that I would keep my eyes open for Him throughout this trip.
They began to serve supper. Karlie asked me if I wanted her cheesecake, but I fell fast asleep.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Preparation
3 shots down... atleast one more to go.
So... we're superstoked at this point. Still trying to get things ready. One week of finals left then we're heading home to pack and spend time with family and friends for Christmas. I'm just praying we make it through exams and all this week alright...
So... we're superstoked at this point. Still trying to get things ready. One week of finals left then we're heading home to pack and spend time with family and friends for Christmas. I'm just praying we make it through exams and all this week alright...
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