Surrey meets Africa

I desperately asked the gentleman if he had any way of contacting the driver and explained that I left something crucially important in the back of his car. He shook his head but, almost as if inspiring me not to lose faith, he told me that the driver’s brother had his own taxi parked a […]

After I thanked the staff member for his help, I began walking in the direction he’d been gesturing towards, as I constructed some sort of plan to get the duffel back. I figured my best bet was going back to the train station in the hopes I’d find the driver there, but how do I […]

Okay no. Not really.  I didn’t spend two nights in an airport’s bus terminal. I was exhausted & wanted nothing more than to collapse into my new bed for the next year, so the tubes would have to do. If only I knew what they had in store for me — I’d have immediately sought […]

My mood was elevated by the pleasant interaction I had with the immigrations officer checking my papers: he just happened to have a personal relationship with Surrey, and comically told me to be sure I always leave my room with the windows locked, lest I want to return to a giant red balloon exclaiming “You […]

As I laid down for the first time in my new home, I thought through what it took for me to get from my home country to here. After about an hour and a half of recounting just the significant parts to myself, I laughed and congratulated myself for making a simple 20-hour transit sound […]