Back to the Suburbs

I made my first journey to the African continent in 2008. I distinctly remember on my flight from Zurich to Dar es Salaam looking down at the great expanse of desert in Libya and Sudan and thinking, "It's a shame I'm never going to be able to go to these places." Eight years later, I got the opportunity of a lifetime, and as I stood in Addis Ababa waiting to board my flight to Khartoum, I knew I was going to a place I never thought I would go. After traversing southern and eastern Africa, I made it to Sudan, and things that once seemed impossible became possible. I remember being overwhelmed by Tanzania in 2008, but now, after six different trips to the continent (of varying lengths) and experiences in 14 of the 49 sub-Saharan African countries, traveling to the continent feels like coming home and I constantly look for ways to get back. That's probably one of the reasons I was so excited to move to Khartoum.

Sudan wasn't the first place I've ridden a camel, but
riding a camel by a bunch of pyramids is surreal.

Then, once I got to Khartoum, I felt like I became a better version of myself. Everything I wrote about in my six-month reflection still holds. I am more social. I am more assertive when necessary. I practice yoga. And I feel like a better person. What more could I ask for? When I came ot that realization, I knew that I had found the right tour for me. And as much as my colleagues thought I was weird for how much I truly began to LOVE Khartoum, it was the reasons--and the great community--that drew me in.

Sadly, however, life takes unexpected turns and the best-made plans get shattered. Life sees comfort and it jolts you out. As you can probably surmise based on this blog post's title, I have returned to the suburbs of Virginia. It wasn't what I planned, and I would have loved to finish my tour in Khartoum, but it just wasn't in the cards. I don't yet know what's next for me, but I look forward to finding out and seeing how whatever it is helps me continue to grow as a person and as a friend.

My 7.5-months in Khartoum were better than I could have ever imagined. I believe in fate and that everything happens for a reason, so for me to leave early, I need to believe that something good is just around the corner. And I had to be back in the US to see it. With that in mind, I plan on being ready to take advantage of whatever next comes my way!

I have sunset on Sudan....

While not the happiest post, here's a video that cheers me up. Multilanguage videos of Disney songs are awesome, and this is such a great and inspirational song.