Today I took my first plane ride. I thought that it was going to be much worse. I imagined flying through the skies with a lot of bumps in the air and birds hitting the windows. My family kept describing plane rides just like a car ride. They were not the same. The airplane ride felt more like a rollercoaster taking off and landing. Yet, to my surprise, the flight was overall quite smooth. The food on the plane was so-so but it was food and I was hungry. The flight was 14 hour long and during the first five hours I was ready to get off. I was tired, my legs began to hurt, I needed to stretch but there was nowhere to go. When I looked out the window all I saw were clouds and the setting of the sun. I used the plane ride to watch a couple movies and sleep as much as I could. Something I will never forget is seeing the sun rise as we landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I felt like one with the sky.
After landing in Addis, we hopped on another plane and flew for another five hours to our Lusaka, Zambia destination. As my first plane ride ever, I never thought that being on a plane could make you so tired and the sad part was you could not even go to sleep. I could never get quite comfortable in my seat. I see why legroom is important. We finally landed in Zambia after watching another movie. I was excited to finally reach our destination. I kept looking around as we walked to the airport from the plane. The air felt and smelled different. I saw a lot more open space and noticed the construction of Zambia’s new airport. We got our luggage, packed it on the van, and piled onto the bus. On the bus ride to the guesthouse, I noticed everyone driving on the wrong side of the road. I had never seen this before. I kept asking myself, “Why are these cars driving on the wrong side of the road? Why is the steering wheel on the opposite? Who decided this?” I wondered if they got into more accidents and how it impacts their driving, but got used to noticing this cultural difference. I realized how different the world is but still the same. My idea of what was “wrong” was their right.
After unloading our belongings at the guesthouse, we went shopping at SPAR, a popular grocery store in Zambia. I noticed how it lacked signs to guide you through the store. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack for certain items. It became fun with the group as we looked for different items for our breakfasts, lunches and dinners. We got to buy some of our own snacks but, to be honest, the ice cream I got was not all that good and something I wouldn’t get again. I am quickly learning the taste and flavors are not exactly what I am used to in America. I hope to find something different that suits my taste buds. We went back to the guesthouse to play games and eat dinner. Sarah and Asta cooked tonight’s dinner and we had spaghetti. After dinner we had our soon-to-be nightly reflection and talked about the day and schedule for tomorrow. We also met Japhet briefly, who will be our Zambia-based guide. He seemed like a really relaxed, chilled-out type of guy, who I look forward to speaking with more regarding his life in Zambia.
After reflection and cleaning up, we all wanted to go get in the shower and then go to sleep. I feel I will be really comfortable working and living with our group during our time in Zambia. I’m looking forward to bettering myself physically, mentally, and emotional and better understanding Zambian lifestyles.
Davonte M., Ballou High School