My roommates are gone, I have only three weeks left at work and this whole crazy train seems to be trying to pull into the station. So I'm doing what any reasonable man would: undertaking a convoluted travel plan to extend my reach into North and East Africa. Observe:
May 8th: Last day at Kalleone Radio, followed by a weekend chilling with the incoming crew of JHR trainers and Craig, the only other trainer not pulling his or her chute early.
May 11th: Board a plane for Casablanca and then hop a train to Marrakech, where I rendez-vous with all-around virtuoso Josh Smyth to raise a glass in celebration of completing our undergraduate degrees - his mere days ago, mine in December - since we will both be missing our June convocation. From there, we hike into the High Atlas Mountains to scale the highest peak in North Africa, Jebl Toubkal, before returning to Casablanca for a few days to end the Moroccan adventure.
May 21st: Find myself on a plane again, which will deposit me back in Sierra Leone.
May 24th: Meet my brother at Lungi Airport and commence a whirlwind tour of my life over the last seven months.
May 28th: Return to Lungi Airport for the fifth time in 2.5 weeks, this time bound for Rwanda. Spend a week and a half there with my bro, tracking wild mountain gorillas, hiking up a volcano, and visiting a number of genocide memorials.
June 7th: Back on a plane and back to Salone, this time for only about 36 hours.
June 8th: Seventh and final trip to Lungi to catch my flight home via Malaga, Spain and London, England.
June 9th, 2:40 p.m.: Disembark at Pearson and set foot on Canadian soil for the first time in 240 days.
Okay, so granted, it's not the most efficient or economical itinerary. Clearly, I planned my destinations more around who I could see them with than their proximity to Sierra Leone. But flights in Africa are all expensive, and I've already visited the neighbours.
When all's said and done, if things go more or less according to plan, I'll be pretty pleased with crossing five African countries off my list in an eight month span, while holding down a job for seven of them. And I think I'll be ready to come home by June. Make sure you've got summer in full swing over there by then, would ya? I don't do 'cold' anymore.
Between my Radio Laurier gig, baseball tourneys, cottages and the like, it's shaping up to be a pretty full, very awesome summer, and I intend to kick-start it by hopefully seeing at least a few of the friends I've missed so dearly on my first Saturday back in the country.
June 13th - save the date, ladies and gents. Or don't. That's cool too. I'm back indefinitely, so don't stress if you can't make it. We'll chill in due time, I'm sure. But if you're not otherwise engaged, I'd love to see you.
I'll probably undertake a less ambitious agenda based loosely around my last Saturday before leaving Canada - starting at Dooly's for some pool (where Brad and I will hopefully regain our once-prolific, trash-talking, pool shark form), spending a good many hours on my beloved Ethel's patio, and - assuming I can bear to leave that fine establishment - rounding out the night at Phil's Grandson's Place.
Mostly, I just want to do something that will allow me to sit and talk with people. People I've missed. People like you. Nothing too crazy, though. Given that I rarely drink here, have lost about 15 lbs., and will still be taking anti-malarial antibiotics, it'd probably be wise not to feed me alcohol if you want me to make it to Phil's - at least, not too fast.
After the 13th, four of my next five weekends are already booked - mostly for baseball - but I'm sure I'll start trying to sort out other plans soon enough, with a couple Toronto trips topping the list in terms of urgency.
Anyway, I'll leave it at that for now, but I'll try to get something up tomorrow that delves a little deeper into my thoughts on the return home. One love.
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4 comments:
I love the fact that a: you are going to casablanca, how friggin cool is that? b: you are aware that a Toronto visit MUST happen!
xo Pinchy
ps. wtf is 42.6?
42.6 refers to the life expectancy here, though I've heard lower numbers since I got here. Seems to depend who you ask. I explain it in the very first post on the blog, but I realize that was before I had many readers. Valid question.
Mike: if one of the weekends you're not booked up already happens to be either June 20-21 or more likely June 27-28 feel free to come and throw down some hay and drink beer at my place while making up crazy drinking games.
One love.
Man, I TOTALLY forgot about that drinking game. Did it make any sense the next day? *laughs* Are you making the Niagara trips an annual thing? I was actually referring to June 27-28 as the one that wasn't booked. The 19-21 includes both Guy's Day IV and Father's Day. But I think I'll probably be in TO on the 27th weekend.
And on an unrelated note, I apparently jinxed it by saying Craig was the only other trainer not pulling his chute early. Yesterday, he changed his flight to accommodate a job he just landed, meaning he's the next to go and I'll be the only one still around to mess with the heads of the incoming JHR trainers. Should be good times.
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