Departure

Where am I? I'm in paradise. I'm in an unobtainable, unreachable, ever elusive, promised land. I'm sitting in a plane, listening to Bob Dylan, calm and proud, with my book in my lap and the city a world away. This begins the time of reflection. I've said my goodbyes to the family and I've walked the sandy streets of Yoff for the last time. This adventure is behind me. As I sit here in this still plane, I am already home, for better or for worse. In a few hours, I'll land in Paris, and after a short flight to Florence, I'll be in Italy. As soon as I land, I'm eating a tomato. And then a shower. And then, I'll have to think. The stage of fear and stress has ended. Now begins the one of reflection. 

Today, I woke up after a largely sleepless night. I took my last shower, waited firmly lady breakfast, and met up with Isabella. We said our goodbyes, I gave her the computer, and I thanked her. Afterward, I met up with Babacar. We went to the Marché Sandaga, where we bought a tablecloth for the family. After this was accomplished, we stopped by a small café, where I had some amazing grilled thiof with plantains. There, we had a conversation about the trip as a whole. I recorded it, and I'll either post a transcript of it or the recording as a whole. It was a conversation that ran for more than an hour, so it's not exactly light reading material. However, it was a great conversation that served to help me reflect on this trip. When I get home, I'll have to write about my experience at ImagiNation Afrika, and I'll have to send Babacar a transcript of the conversation. We then headed to the airport, where Babacar bought me a Senegal soccer jersey. This was a gift, and it made me very happy. We headed home, where I spent my last hours with the family. 7:00 came. The unreachable hour was upon us. I said my goodbyes to the family and told them to visit us. It was a great moment, a very bittersweet one. I will miss them. I got into a taxi with Babacar and Mustafa. As we drove through the streets of Yoff for the last time, I discovered that there is a part of me that truly loves this city. As the plane is speeding down the runway, I can only think about how amazing this experience has been. I'm coming home, but in some sense, I'm also leaving home.

So good bye Dakar. It's been one hell of a ride.