The Long Journey Home

The Long Journey Home

I arrived at the Nairobi Airport three hours early.  There was no way I was going to miss my flight.  I normally don't care about flights and often get to the airport with enough time to check in and board the flight but this flight was different.  A group of my college friends had pitched in money to fly me home to watch our alma mater, Michigan State University, play in the NCAA Final Four in Detroit, Michigan.  The journey was a thirty-five hour journey including a thirteen hour layover in Amsterdam.

I arrived in Amsterdam around 5 pm and had two options stay at the airport and patiently wait or head into the city.  I decided that I shouldn't waste the time at the airport and I should spend time in the city.  I needed to be in a taxi heading to the airport by 4 am so the big unanswered question was do I get a hotel for the night and risk sleeping through an alarm and missing the flight to Detroit or staying up all night. I decided to play it by ear.

I did a walking tour of the the sights in the center city of Amsterdam.  It is a wonderful city to stroll through and people watch.  As it got dark, I decided that it was safer to stay up then find a hotel room.  That meant that I needed to find a few partners in crime to stay up with me.  I walked by a small pub that claimed it was the smallest bar in downtown Amsterdam.  I figured it was as good of a place than any other to make new friends.  I sat at the bar and ordered a drink.  I started up a conversation with two Germans and found out that they were doing the same thing.  They invited me to put my backpack with their luggage and we agreed to take a taxi to the airport together.  Not bad---thirty minutes and I found my partners in crime.

The pub was pretty happening for a little place.  A group of British who were celebrating a bachelor party came in with their poor groom dressed in drag.  They were followed by a group of American students.  One of the women started to talk with my German friends.  She was loud and for whatever reason started to brag about how much she had traveled.  The three of us were gracious and listened to her stories and then this dialog occurred.

American Student- "I am not like most Americans, I really travel.  I have been in the middle of some dangerous places."

German Guy-"Oh, that is good.  Which places have you been?"

American Student- "I just spent two weeks in Eastern Europe."

 German guy starts laughing.  "Eastern Europe is not dangerous. We go to Eastern Europe all the time."

American student looks at me-- "What are you laughing at?  I am sure I have been more places than you."

Me (still laughing) "I am sure you have but this isn't about me."

American Student- "Oh, you are one of these American's who travels to Amsterdam and thinks you have seen the world."

Me- "Trust me you do not want to go there."

American Student-"Don't tell me not to go there.  How many countries have you been to?"

Me- "It's not about how many countries you have been to."

American Student- "No tell me!'

Me- "If I have been to more countries than you will you leave the bar?"

American Student- "Yes, I will."

Me- I pull out my passport and flip through the pages and say, "Darling, when you travel as much as I do your passport looks like this.  Should we now look at yours?"

American Student- " @#$% you! Let's get out of here."

The people around us who had been listening to the conversation all started laughing.  One of the Germans was actually in tears.  A couple of her friends were trying not to laugh and a few others were looking embarrassed. She stormed out of the bar but only one of her friends went with her.  The others stayed.  Less than thirty minutes later, she returned to the bar but surprisingly she didn't want to talk to me or the Germans. 

 

The last two groups of people I met were Americans. Luckily, they were not as uptight as the American student I had encountered earlier. One was a couple from Los Angeles and the other two were women doing internships in Holland for the summer.  They all agreed to be a part of my team to stay up with me until I had to grab my taxi to the airport.  The guy was impressed that I was heading home for the game and we talked sports for awhile.  One of the women was actually from East Lansing and we knew people in common. 

 

Around 4 am, we said our good byes and I made my way to the airport. In the airport, I put on my Michigan State T-shirt and I boarded my flight.  Eight hours later I was in the Detroit, Michigan, USA.

To be continued.....                 Pictured: The cool group of Americans, who made sure I made my flight back to Detroit.