The Long Journey to Seattle, Washington

Wow, what an amazing journey, I got to see and do things most people do not even know you can see and do. But the sad part of this adventure was starting, it was time to “go ome to my ouse” (nope, I’m not missing the letter H).

My marathon run would start at 2AM this morning. While my alarm was not set to go off until 4AM I was worried about being late, driving problems and missing planes, and could sleep no more. I showered and somehow managed to hang out until 4AM when I hit the road for my 5 hour drive back to Windhoek. Yup, got my passport. I think I once read something about not diving when it was dark out, but I had a plane to catch. I was in for a treat in that today’s drive was on tarmac, unfortunately the warmer coastal water mixing with the cold night air made for some of the creepiest fog I have ever been in. Tarmac or not I had no idea if I was on a road or not.

I somehow got to the airport and returned my rental car. I then hung out for two hours before I would board the two hour British Airways flight to Johannesburg. Yup, got my passport. I was flying British Airways all the way home so I could check my bag and worry about it again once the carousel started spinning in Seattle.

I had four hours in Johannesburg and fortunately had enough cash left over to get something to eat and drink without having to visit an ATM again. Yup, got my passport. I then boarded my 11 hour flight to London Heathrow in which I started a number of different movies, unfortunately they were all terrible and I finished none of them.

Three hours in London and I would then board my final nine hour flight to Seattle. I landed in the U.S. and went through immigrations and customs without anyone asking where I was or taking my temperature to see if I was bringing back a little Ebola. Yup, got my passport, in case anyone wants to check it? And just like that, after months of research and planning, it was over in the blink of an eye. But it was another experience of a lifetime. It would take me over two months to process it, over two months to understand and appreciate it, over two months to go through over 5,000 photos, over two months to review over 4 hours of video. And now it is just a memory, another series of lessons learn, now a part of who I am and what defines me.

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