The journey from Detroit to Amsterdam was much more bearable than I expected it to be. Kendra, Aysha, and my parents saw me off in Detroit, and we even ran into Carl Levin at the security check. That was a great distraction from the sadness of saying goodbye... plus, Carl Levin is awesome. I usually get very uneasy when it comes to flying over large bodies of water, and dark water is one of my big fears, so I was expecting to be on edge as we crossed the ocean at night. However, my expectations were completely contradicted. I sat with my head against the window and listened to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon in its entirety while watching the moon's reflection on the Atlantic Ocean. Kind of an epic moment. Plus, the Delta on-demand had Parks & Rec, so time passed quickly.
In Amsterdam, I couldn't help but laugh at all of the Holland-themed stuff. My fellow travelers marveled at wooden shoe keychains and giant tulip statues, but all I could think about was the Holland I'm accustomed to. It felt like home. On the flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi, we were re-routed due to a volcanic explosion in Northern Africa (yes, I'm serious). Our flight lasted 2 hours longer than it was expected to, but we got to fly over Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Ethiopia, and some other regions with interesting landscapes, so I wasn't too distraught. Here's a photo I took just as the sun was setting over Saudi Arabia:
We arrived here in Nairobi around 10 pm local time, and a van drove us to the Kenya Methodist Guest House. It's basically a hotel with a more personal feel. Everyone is extremely kind and there are a couple of cats roaming around and sleeping on various wicker chairs. There is so much more I could say, but I'm jetlagged and I think a few hours of sleep would do me good. You know you're sleep-deprived when you cry at an episode of Undercover Boss on the airplane. On that note, goodnight. Stay tuned for much more.
This is me making good use of the mosquito net on my bed.
I can't wait to see all of the pictures! The plane ride sounds pretty fun, and like you got to see a lot :) Also I'm jealous of the Amsterdam wooden shoe keychains, wish I had one.. Glad you made it there safely and I am eager for new updates! Hilarious but sad thing: One of James' fish died (they are new) and he described it "He was planking in the plant...but then it turns out he was dead."
ReplyDeleteAll of this is good news - even the crying at an episode of Undercover Boss. Was it like non-jetlagged you viewing a particularly poignant episode of Teen Mom?
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