Serendipity

It's not often that one thinks, "Man, I'm really glad that I got Dengue," but I really am quite glad.  The following things happened because I came down with Dengue:

1) I had enough time to pack up my apartment
2) I got to spend New Year's Eve with my Boston loves and see some very impressive cross-dressing
3) I had time for a Cheesecake Factory trip where I discovered the best cheesecake I have ever eaten (Dulce de Leche, try it)
4) I got to have some cheese covered Mexican food with my fellow punching enthusiast
5) I watched an entire season of American Horror Story and also spent some quality time with Charlie Kelly
6) I ended up sitting in front of the girl who hired me on the flight to Sierra Leone so I had someone to guide me through the rather complicated process of getting to my new home

I don't have much to share yet, but I thought that there were enough people that are anxious to know how it's going that a little post was in order.

As some of you may know, the only phone I have is my work phone, so I had to leave it at my apartment when I left.  I was meeting my good friend Gina at a T station in Quincy so we could drive to the airport together and she could take my car.  As it happens, we were running late.  So you can picture me, sitting at at T station waiting for Gina with no phone and thinking I was going to miss the flight.  I was the picture of tranquility, or course.  And we made it with no problem, so my anxiety was unnecessary, as per usual.  I spent my last few moments with Gina ravenously devouring the last bits of my cheesecake from the night before.  As they say, a journey of a thousand miles starts with one bite of cheesecake.

In the first 12 hours of my trip, I only managed to make it to New Jersey, so that was rather frustrating but then things really got moving.  From New Jersey I was on a 6 or 7 hour flight to Brussels.  It was delayed for an hour or two on the tarmac, which I handled with much more patience than I thought I had.  I guess I've gotten used to these things, but I still usually lose it at least once in every journey.  Then after a short layover in Brussels, it was on to Sierra Leone.  Just as a note, the Brussels airport was much less impressive than I had expected.  Sadly, it was just like any other airport I'd ever been to.

On the flight to Sierra Leone, I thought that the girl behind me had a familiar voice and I found myself wondering if it was Erin, who was one of the girls who interviewed me for my job with GOAL.  However, I didn't want to be the creeper who eavesdrops and then jumps into a conversation, so I didn't say anything until we landed.  And, as it turns out, it was her along with a guy named Sam, who will also be working with GOAL and happens to be from Boston.  So, I had a lovely guide to help me through immigration, the health scan, waiting for bags, buying the ticket to the boat, waiting for the boat for an hour and a half or so, and putting me in the car that would take me to my home.  These are the things that you would never expect to have happen, but sometimes the universe is looking out for you.

I'm staying at a three story house in Freetown with a lovely view and huge balconies on every floor.  The first shower I had was hot, but I've been told not to always expect that.  I think that I have to move bedrooms later tonight, but the house seems like it will be a nice place to be based.  Today I've managed to try to stay awake at the times that I'm supposed to, despite the 6 hour time difference, changed money, and bought groceries.  Tomorrow I'll go into the office and have another GOAL induction (number 4, by my count) and hopefully start to figure out what the heck I'm supposed to be doing.  I'll keep you posted!

Ah, I also had my first Sierra Leone faux pas when I tried to shake hands with a new colleague and was gently reminded that "we don't shake hands here."  Ah, yes.  That one will take a bit to get used to.