Goodbye Surbiton, Hello Freetown

Yesterday was one of those strange days when you wake in one country and go to bed in another.  The strangeness was heightened when I realised that I would be going to bed here for a number of months rather than the usual number of weeks when you head off on holiday.

I spent a quite a few of the 6.5hours of the flight staring out the window contemplating what lies ahead.  It wasn’t a bad view.

We arrived in the dark at Lungi Airport which sits on the opposite side of the giant river mouth from Freetown.  The airport was chaotic in appearance but we manage to clear immigration and locate our luggage with relative ease.  Outside arrivals the lovely Bernard from VSO was waiting to guide us to our hotel.  A number of options exist to make the journey from the airport: road, ferry and water taxi.  We opted for the water taxi as the tide was going out.  Why that detail?  Well, the boat had become stuck on the sand bank and it took a number of people in the water and another boat to come along to dislodge it.  Waiting wasn’t too much of a hardship as we were on a lovely beach looking over the bay to the lights of Freetown with a gentle warm breeze gently brushing our faces.  Eventually we boarded and safely made it to Aberdeen.  Would you believe it? 22 years after leaving one Aberdeen I am about to start a new life in another.

Collapsing into bed at midnight in Freetown I reflect that this had been a momentous day and there was not going back now.  This really is happening and I’m filled with nervous excitement and anticipation about how the next days, weeks and months are going to unfurl.