Ethiopia Diary #1

8/16/12

It's exactly 10pm EST and 5pm ET time. I just pulled out my phone (this may be the longest I have ever been without it!) and it has been completely useless to me on the flight (no service ofc). Abe is sleeping next to me with a sleeping mask (oh yes, he caved) and his jacket thrown over his face and upper body. Naomi, a girl who lives in ET but flies home once a year to visit her dad, is on my left. We bonded over lamenting about the endless flight. 

We are on a Boeing 777. It's a 3x3 seater. It's a nice place but even as big as it is, we are very cramped, especially poor Abe. The flight to DC was a small plane; two rows of seating on the right; one on the left (I don't understand how a lopsided plane doesn't tip??? Why not just add the other row? Totally freaks me out....) and only took an hour. This flight is 13 hours. It's been very long. Due to such last minute notice and bringing everything we need in carry on's, we didn't have a chance to bring anything to do except a book each (and reading while moving makes me sick). There IS a TV here but nothing on is good. We've just been sitting and trying to sleep, since when we arrive at 7am our time, we will have a full schedule. Once we land, collect our baggage, apply for and pick up Visas and find our driver, we will be dropped off at the Guesthouse, where we will be staying. We can "freshen up" (we look ATROCIOUS! :)) and then we are going to go meet the kids!!!!!! After that I have no clue what our trip looks like. 

It still hasn't sunk in that we are meeting the kids in a few hours. Or at all. This whole things seems surreal. Like a weird dream. It hasn't hit yet. I know this sounds ridiculous, especially since we left our house at 3:30am EST, but we aren't even excited. I can't even fathom that this is happening. The Lahmans, who are traveling with us (we freaking adore them) are the same way. I think we are all just shell shocked. Carrie thinks it will hit us on the way to the Transition Home. I keep trying to imagine what it will be like to FINALLY meet the kids after so long.......but I can't. It just doesn't feel real. Weird. 

Neither of us are sick (thank you God!) except for a headache that has been with me all day. We had a three hour layover in DC and had a blast chilling with Dave and Carrie and were hoping to be able to hang out on the plane but it is VERY tough even just getting to the bathroom and they are in the back of the plane and we are at the front so we haven't seen each other basically at all since boarding. 

I've never liked flying and I probably never will but it's been a smooth trip. All the ET Air staff are nice and are SO pretty. :) 

Writing this is making my headache worse. It's 5:13 now. Thanks for your pra