May 28: Bookends

As predicted, I was quite pleased with being sober at 5AM. After some banana bread, coffee, and Advil for most folks, we hopped on our shuttle and headed for Lilongwe! The bus was pretty quiet since most people were trying to sleep, though our driver was playing a very interesting mix of music. We couldn’t decide whether it was his mix called “Music White People Like” or if he actually liked it, but we assumed it was the first. I mostly listened to my own music, though I took a break for the Backstreet Boys portion of the trip. The banana bread and scones were a total blessing. Honestly, I don’t know what we would have done without Chancey and Felista; they were so thoughtful.

We made it to Lilongwe in time for Mary to catch her flight, which was why we left so early. Then the shuttle carted the rest of us to our lodge for the night, where most of us put our stuff in our rooms and went straight to lunch. Some people went into town, but I didn’t have particular a reason to go with, so laziness and tiredness won out. I spent my afternoon with Maddy and Akkila, which was really nice. I’m more comfortable in small-group settings. This trip has definitely challenged me to work on speaking up in large groups, but once in awhile, it’s nice to have interactions that are easy for me. I also hadn’t gotten as much time to get to know Maddy since she lived in the other house, so I really enjoyed getting to know her. At one point, she asked Akkila and I if we wanted to go for a walk, and we were both just silent…we were so tired and lazy! But I was glad that she convinced us to go; it was really nice outside. I also wowed Akkila with my Solitaire skills…not entirely certain that’s something to be proud of, but it was pretty funny.

We had dinner at the lodge, and then I spent my evening playing Gloom with Natalee, Sally, and Akkila. I was really glad it got played, because I would have been slightly dismayed to have fruitlessly carried it to another continent…We weren’t particularly creative due to lack of sleep, but it was still fun!

The title of this post comes from the symmetry that I’ve been noticing in my trip. Today included a sleep-deprived bus ride and a cold shower, which was how my time in Malawi began! While those sound like really negative things, I was really pleased that they were the start and end of my trip. Those sort of character-building experiences (or AFGO, as my mom calls them…Another F***ing Growth Opportunity) are what make trips memorable. The final bookend of the trip is that my flight path home is the reverse of my trip here. The Type-A part of my brain is super pleased by all this symmetry, so it seemed noteworthy. It’s also adding a sense of finality and closure for the trip, which is nice, if a little sad.

I’m hoping to get a good night’s sleep since I’m flying out tomorrow! Last night’s sleep was not long, and I probably won’t get much sleep while travelling, so I need to rest up.

-Jen