Well, the trip from Kabul to Vancouver should make a cool story for my grandkids one day. Let's start with our adventures at the Kabul International Airport...hmm...make sure everyone has a passport and be ready for the full body, heavy pat down in two or more locations before you get on the plane. And, another lesson learned...if you happen to conceal your ammunition in your carry on bag on accident, you can expect the Afghans to spread the word like wildfire, leave you standing there waiting for them to decide what to do with you and hopefully you will find an English-speaking person to explain why the 15-rounds of M-9 rounds were left in your carry on bag...ahhh. Big mistake that I don't wish on anyone else.
Now, on to the flight on Pamir Air, an Afghan Airline. Well, it was a nice, clean airplane with plenty of free seats so we could spread out...and they even did a raffle drawing with our tickets, handing out $100 US dollars to lucky winners! Better than any United or Delta flight I've been on.
Arrival in to Dubai quickly turned precarious as we, yet again delt with the fact that two people in our party did not have US Passports. The men working in the airport looked like Arabian Knights with their stark white man dresses and a single black rope that held the white covering on their head. They seemed to float around from spot to spot, flicking the scarf on their head to the side as you engaged them in conversation. But, despite the passport issues, I talked them into using their official military orders and IDs as well as understanding we were travelling back to our own country. Close call be we made to our flight before midnight.
14 1/2 hours later, we hit Dulles Intl. Airport in Washington D.C. Sleepy, a bit hungry and ready to stretch out, we head towards our Chicago flight. Everything seemed so colorful as we debarked from the plane. I couldn't help but notice all the smells coming from the fast food shops, the bright lights on neon signs, the people with chubby faces, and the most intriguing was the children running about with their parents. I felt happy yet sad to be back in the U.S. because we have a very complex, materialistic culture, one that puts self before others, appetite in front of health and greed in front of giving. I missed Afghanistan and still do at this moment.
From Chicago we landed safely in Vancouver, Canada....27 hours after lifting off from Kabul, Afghanistan. Now in Canada, I know that we are surely the luckiest people in the world, living in North America, everything is only a thought away...but is this always a good thing?
After only 3 days away from Afghanistan, I feel my American appetite coming back, my desire to buy things, my thirst for more entertainment. I can't wait to return to Afghanistan, a place that forces me to put away my selfish needs and give to those who truly need it. I hope to bring back photos of this trip to share with my Afghan friends, along with gifts for them.
As I run along the harbor, the air glides through my lungs, the unpolluted air that conditions my body for the rest of its journey. The mountains ahead of me are adorned with homes...from a distance I can't tell if I'm in Canada or Afghanistan. Both are quiet and at peace at times.
Salam Aleikum.
