***during one flight a woman said to me "i don't know how you can sit like that…being so pregnant."
***pam takes medication on the plane and falls asleep (lucky girl…it doesn't work for me)
more like she passes out.
so when i would have to go to the bathroom i had to stradle her.
a man was behind me and looked at me funny….because it did look very questionable.
i said "it's ok…i'm her friend."
and i bounced on her lap for added effect!
she never woke up once…and i climbed over her a lot. HA HA HA
***we warned the woman sitting by the window in our row of three that pam would fall asleep.
5 hours later when she needed the bathroom the woman said "i didn't think it would be so bad."
***i cannot sleep sitting up.
i think i have restless leg syndrome.
i am serious.
on our flight home….after i stradled pam the third time….the entire plane was asleep but me.
i went in one of the bathrooms and stretched…and stretched…then sprawled out as much as i could.
and slept.
i really did.
i stayed in there for 45 minutes.
it was the only place i could stretch my legs….
and when i came out i coated my hands with germ-x about 15 times.
***on BMI airlines they have a rule that the window shades must be open for landing.
they insisted.
"it's for safety"
pam and i had a laugh attack and couldn't breathe or talk we were laughing so hard picturing
the pilot coming back to row 19 to look out our window so he could land the plane safely.
….maybe you had to be there.
***the sierra leone airport was quite different than any i have been to.
the air conditioning did not work.
did i mention that africa is very HOT?
the airport really is just three or four big rooms.
our departing flight (the only flight) was a few hours late.
it was nearing midnight now…we'd been there sweating it out for several hours.
i was fanning myself when suddenly i felt a cold breeze.
only the second one since we'd arrived in africa.
it was coming from the duty free shop right behind me!
i decided i needed to do some shopping at midnight at the duty free shop in sierra leone.
i walked in and i asked "do you have any chocolate?"
i bought a big bag of twix bars, opened them and shared with the three workers in the shop.
then i went and passed it around the 7 white ladies.
five minutes passed and the duty free worker opened the door and said "come back in and cool off…"
you don't have to ask me twice.
i pulled pam in with me.
and that is when we got to know Olec, Foodae and Emma.
we showed them pictures of our families…discussed freetown and america….the ymca.
pam asked if they sold music like we heard in the poda podas and they did!
then at almost midnight i told them the secret that it was the last few minutes of pam's birthday.
we took a picture to celebrate.
and i bought her the poda poda CD…the perfect gift.
happy birthday to pam.
i was so happy to leave africa happy and laughing all the way to the plane.
Aircraft Hanger Doors - I’ve been searching about Aircrafts and reading your blog, I found your post very helpful 🙂 . I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading.
princess lasertron - funny!
pregnant? rude! I think its funny how I am like 9 months pregnant and VERY FEW people ask me if I am. like they are afraid to be wrong.
Melanie - Really? A lady said that to you? Pregnant? That is SO rude!
melissa - HIL. AR. I. OUS.
I am laughing so hard right now!!!!!
and then i read your comments and the chick that had the flower lady rub her belly………oh my. too much!!!
thanks for the laugh today! i needed it!!!
melissa
Kelly - I can’t sleep on planes either. I thought I was the only person who couldn’t. Thank you for sharing your trip with all of us.
chasity - thanks for making me laugh this morning.
those were great little tidbits.
pambuller - you were the best travel buddy! that picture reminds me of my favorite part of my birthday. 🙂 thank you, meg, for making it special. you had a way of making good of everything. you were so calming. i’d go with you to africa any day!
Donna - I had a lady say, “You didn’t tell me you were pregnant!” Yeah, cuz I’m not. Grrrrrrrrr.
Thanks so much for sharing the pictures and stories!
angela - What a great post…so many emotions…PREGO???:)
Jen - I love reading your blog and am encourage by your honesty and journey as a woman of God. Thanks for sharing from your depths of all emotions from Africa. This post made me crack up. I thought of a commercial I saw and thought you would enjoy it. Blessings to you and thanks for sharing the real you.
Jen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLqf4-jv0ng&feature=related
Rebecca - This post made LOL…I mean REALLY LOL! 🙂 Glad you had a meaningful trip and made it home safely!!
Rachel / cREaTe - cracking UP at you & pam cracking UP over the pilot needing your window! 😀 that is so freakin’ funny! i fly all the time & have heard that about the shades … but never knew why {& my husband’s a pilot!}. so thanks to heather for the explanation {in her comment}! but envisioning the pilot stooping to peer out row #19 is priceless.
great stories!!! 😀
Sarah - What an amazing journey. Your words as well as pictures moved me. I cried while reading every post about your trip. Wow is all I can say, we all need to do more. Thank you.
Jennifer - wow!! I am so moved by your Africa! What you felt,what you saw what you experienced..The photos are amazing…
linda lou - meg after reading all the comments i could hardly contain myself (: (: for now i’m under my desk laughing….and my hubby is thinking oh she forgot her med’s again (: when i was pregnant w/amy d your neighbor to be clear on which amy i ask some gal when her baby was due because i thought everyone was pregnant at that time but believe me she looked more pregnant that me and she WASN’T ): talk about digging a hole and having a red face over that statement i NEVER assumed that again…but now i could look pregnant but its just menopause swelling (:
haha on the serious side love your pictures!!
Diana - i cannot write on here what i woulda said to the lady who made the preg comment. :p i have seen pics of you in here and you don’t even resemble that remark!
ugh, not having enough leg room! that would drive me nuts… i gotta have lotsa flip-over room when i sleep. LOL!
happy belated birthday, Pam!
♥
Logan - I have loved reading your notes from your trip. And I definitely sympathize with the sleeping on the plane thing. I cannot do it, nor can I sit still for very long. I hate to fly for that reason.
Lisa - Imagining you guys laughing so hard about the window shades being up reminded me about a trip I took. Flying home from a mission trip to Guatemala a friend and I started talking about “what if planes drove on roads instead of flying” Then we thought about plane road racing. We were laughing hysterically. Of course no one else thought we were funny! I think its the fatigue and delirium kicking in! Thanks for sharing about your trip! Its been a long time since I did a mission trip. Haven’t wanted to leave my kids. God may be starting to tug on my heart that its time to get back in the game! 🙂
purejoy - your visit to africa became my visit to africa. i felt like i was right there beside you (except for the sweaty part). and is it NOT a wonder how amazing air conditioning is? and what a little treasure that God gave you… meeting new friends in the airport. He is so good.
Heather - I love that you’re sharing all this with us. I get so excited when I see you have a new post. I love your honesty.
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Girl you crack me up so bad. I just love you! BTW you do NOT look pregnant. Delusional is what that person was!!! Probably from all the heat;) Have a great weekend.
LOL - TO FUNNY!!!!
adrienne - has ur happy things list been there lately? i know i have looked for it recently and thought maybe you had replaced it with your sponsors… regardless, it’s one of my favorite things about ur blog and i’m glad to see it!
also have enjoyed ur experience in africa.
Megan - OMG I’m still laughing. Its amazing what people say when they don’t even know you. I can’t sleep on a plane either. I think I have RLS too plus I’m too busy watching other people and making sure the plane is gonna land. Good stories, loved them!
4JJM - You never fail to make me laugh! What was up with the preggo comment? You don’t even resemble pregnant.
Courtney - You are too stinkin’ funny. The pregnancy comment – OH, just ignore it! Sounds like you had a great time – great post!! We can all just picture it. I love your new friends at the Duty Free!
Dina - GREAT post!!! Yeah, you had the pregnancy comment… well I had taken my 3 year old to the potty at Olive Garden and a lady asked me if she was my GRANDDAUGHTER!!!! ummmm… no, she’s my daughter — pretty sure the look on her face was my redemption:-)
Rachel @ Pencil Shavings - O
M
G
I am DYING over here, reading about that pregnancy comment! That is TOO MUCH! One time my husband had flowers delivered to me on Valentine’s Day several years before our son was born. I was wearing an empire-waist dress, kinda before they were available everywhere. Anyway, I guess the flower delivery lady thought I was pregnant and actually reached in to the doorway and rubbed my belly.
Sorry lady. No bun in this oven!
Chalk Inscriptions - Did you ask when she was due? Of course not, you are too polite.
Well, I am glad that you had an experience of a lifetime to Africa. I am really dreading getting my shots for our Ethiopia trip! I am praying my husband only has to go pick up our child while I stay and manage our brood. He has had all his shots from a trip to Uganda. But if I go I know it will be wonderful!
But don’t you just wish you could speed up that plane trip? 🙂
heather - I’ve loved your posts about Africa! Enjoyed them all! We are adopting from Ethiopia, so we will be going in the near future (a year or so).
I’m a flight attendant, so please let me explain the window shades. I am compelled to take up for my peeps! ha! If there was a need for an emergency evacuation… flight attendants are to assess out of the windows to make sure there is no fire or obstruction outside (in which case they would not open that exit). If the window shades are closed, you can’t see and it is just one more step to to have to open that window shade when time is of the utmost importance. Thank you for allowing me to explain. 🙂
miss lynn - oh you make me
smile. question:
how did your
family survive?
any tips? my
lover is leaving
tomorrow for
haiti – 9 days.
i am
not so good
at single
parenting.
thankful all
went well for
you girls.
God was glorified.
happy day.
jeanne - Get OUT about the pregnancy comment!!! She wasn’t talking about you…was she???? I would have been hanging out in the air conditioning too.
Big E - It’s OK Meg, she doesn’t wake up for me either.
Heather @ Cookie Mondays - what great memories! thanks for sharing it all with us 🙂