Day 1 - Almost there
October 3, 2022
I guess this is what I’m calling Day 1. Hard to tell given the time change and exhaustion level. Again, not much of an update, we’ve just been sitting in airports and on a plane so far. Not much of interest really either, but short, frequent updates should help get me into the habit of posting. Also, helps pass the time waiting around airports.
We survived the first leg and longest flight of our trip over. It wasn’t quite as long as I thought, just a bit under 13 hours. We all slept a little, but certainly not enough. Ravi’s small stature meant that he had the easiest time getting comfortable, though I think he only slept about 5 or 6 hours over a couple of separate stretches. He loved picking out movies and watching the information channel on the plane that included a video stream from a camera on the bottom of the plane. Unfortunately, most of the trip during the daylight hours was cloudy over Europe, so not much to see.
We were pretty worn out when we got off the plane and were happy to stretch out and do some walking. We’re a few hours into our layover in Dubai. It’s about 10:40 PM and our flight leaves here at ~2:30 AM. At least it’s a nicer and more comfortable airport than average. Leah and Ravi found the playground and are burning off some energy. I’m sitting across from the Rolex and Gucci stores contemplating some luxury purchases… I guess I don't need anything.
We also tend to attract friendly people who want to chat. Including one woman who sat down next to us in Dubai and started making small talk. Among other things, she said she went to the Irish Catholic School that Mother Theresa taught at. So she knew Mother Theresa and has some hand-written notes from her. This woman now lives in Houston and just visited her son who goes to school at Northwestern a few weeks ago and took a trip up to Lake Geneva while she was there. There always seem to be those random connections to make that make the world feel just a little smaller.
A few more hours to kill until the next flight. Mostly we're keeping it together, but still a long way to go. Wish us luck.
-Ryan, Leah, and Ravi
