Traveling Mercies

I returned from a trip to Sierra Leone this week and am still slightly jet lagged. As I write, I'm calculating that I just need to stay awake for two more hours, then I can go to bed without messing up my adaptation. It's Friday and in two hours it will be 9pm.  

I like some things about travel--like walking around airports and people watching. I also appreciate that I can watch whatever movies I want to on the mini video screens during the flight. But it's just about impossible for me to sleep in a plane. It's not that I'm anxious, just uncomfortable sitting upright, whether I have a neck pillow or not. 

For this trip, I flew from Fort Wayne to Detroit, and then to Amsterdam. The plane was delayed leaving from Amsterdam, but arrival in Freetown was still to be before 9pm, which would give time for customs and a trip on the Sea Bird Express Ferry to Freetown and a solid night of sleep stretched out on a bed before leaving the next morning for the drive to Mattru.

As the plane descended towards the airport in Sierra Leone, the pilot announced a problem with landing apparatus. He assured us that we would be able to land but that the issue was perhaps not repairable in Freetown. We circled until it was decided that we would fly onto Monrovia, which was the next scheduled stop that evening before heading back up to Amsterdam.. There were a few groans, but not an uproar. 

In Monrovia red lights from nearby emergency vehicles flashed, but we landed with no incident. Passengers for Monrovia deplaned. Freetown passengers, mostly Sierra Leonians, waited while the technical problem was repaired. The cabin was cleaned. Groups stood and chatted. New passengers, who were to fly to Amsterdam, embarked. Every twenty minutes or so we were told to wait five or ten minutes for news of the plan. Three hours passed.

The talk amongst Sierra Leonians was relaxed and relatively cheerful. They talked about politics and how to make more things work. There was a general sense that it was Sierra Leone's (Salone's) fault that the plane was unable to land there.

At one point, there was a possibility of flying the plane back to Amsterdam (keeping those passengers on schedule with connecting flights) and then flying the rest of us to Freetown. I'm glad that wasn't announced until after the fact, because I would have died a little inside. 

We eventually did fly to Sierra Leone. 

After customs and baggage, a boat trip, and friends meeting me, I took a cool shower, put a fan in place, and plopped onto bed under a mosquito net. It was 4am. 

I whispered thanks to God for that bed, and it was true, relief-filled, deep thanks. And I slept. 

I think discomfort is sometimes a good thing for my soul. There were other lessons and stories from my time in Sierra Leone, but gratitude in the midst of physical discomfort is the one that is lingering during the process of getting over some minor jet lag. 

And also, one word of wisdom for anyone traveling soon who doesn't sleep on flights--choosing to watch Terms of Endearment followed by La La Land near the end of forty hours of no sleep is unwise. The combination puts you in a tearful/musical state that lingers longer than it should.

Bright and beautiful flowers at the convent where we slept before leaving Freetown.