Here on the World Race, we travel a LOT. Travel days always hold unexpected challenges. They’re actually some of my very favorite days. This time, I’ve decided to let you all in on what a travel day looks like. Traveling from Nelspruit, South Africa to Nsoko, Swaziland is actually potentially our easiest and fastest travel day of the whole race!
The scene: Old Vic’s Traveller’s Inn in Nelspruit, South Africa. The whole squad has been here for four days for Debrief, a time of rest and teachings before the next leg of our journey.
6:00 am: Alarm goes off. I groan and my sleeping buddy, Danielle, tells me that if I just ignore it, I can keep sleeping. I get up anyway.
6:16 am: Make my way to the lobby to soak up my last little bit of wifi before we head to the bush of Africa where wifi is non-existent. I pound out the last few sentences of my latest blog and publish it, tell my friends and family that I’ll “catch them on the flippity-flop,” and post to Instagram, naturally.
7:00 am: Make my way back upstairs to pack. I’m a “works best under pressure” type of person, so the whole “packing the night before” thing doesn’t usually work.
7:08 am: Go back downstairs to check the “free table,” the space where the squad leaves all things they are dropping from their packs. Sometimes, it’s a gold mine and you can find all kinds of new clothes. This time, I go back upstairs empty handed.
7:47 am: Flop down on my bed and whine, “I don’t waaaanna go to Swaziland.” More unintelligible sounds follow.
8:02 am: Notice my ravaging hunger and go down to the kitchen to retrieve a bowl of granola and yogurt. Shield bowl from hungry monkeys on my way back. Yes, this is true. They stole our bananas straight from our kitchen. They also broke the TV in the guys’ room.
8:10 am: Walk through the wifi zone on my way back to my room to see if I can connect one more time. No such luck. Silently pat myself on the back for waking up early before everyone else connected.
8:12 am: Check the free table again. Still nothing good.
8:57 am: Finish packing. Drag my big pack down the stairs and pile it in the parking lot. Return upstairs for my day pack and guitar, because the struggle of carrying all three at the same time is not one I choose willingly.
9:05 am: Make my last trip to the parking lot, where goodbyes have begun: our squad leaders are making their way back to the United States. They have served us so well!
9:30 am: Get on the bus. Realize my backpack doesn’t fit in the overhead compartment. Sigh.
9:32 am: Get off the bus, because it is SWELTERING and it is obvious we will not be leaving on time.
9:42 am: Get back on the bus, settle in, break out the journal and headphones. Bus departs. Spent the next few hours gazing out the window at the indescribable beauty of this area and nodding in and out of sleep.
11:57 am: Realize we should have been there by now. Also realize that this happens every travel day, so I’m used to it.
12:22 pm: Arrive at the border of South Africa and Swaziland and proceed to have the easiest border crossing of our whole lives. PRAISE.
12:36 pm: Walk to a nearby gas station in the blazing sun, whine like a child about how I didn’t bring my money with me, and thank Brooke profusely when she offers to buy me an ice cream bar. Get back on the bus.
2:05 pm: Pit stop at a grocery store for Manzini teams to buy groceries. Pay $0.50 to use the restroom. Wander around aimlessly for twenty minutes.
2:45 pm: Back on the bus. Scarf down some snacks. Pat myself on the back again for remembering to bring snacks.
3:22 pm: Arrive in Manzini, where three teams will be spending their month. Struggle to sort out luggage and make sure everybody’s luggage is in the correct place. Say goodbye to half the squad, including most of my former teammates.
3:39 pm: Get back on the bus for the final stretch of our journey.
4:47 pm: Arrive at a small grocery store in Nsoko, Swaziland to purchase groceries for the next few days.
5:15 pm: Arrive at our FINAL DESTINATION. Try to get my bearings as I unload all my belongings and claim a bottom bunk. Say a quick prayer of thanks for safe arrival, take a few deep breaths, and head to the kitchen for dinner.
Stay tuned for Part Two, coming next month: Travel Day from Swaziland all the way to Argentina! It’s sure to look a little different than this one 🙂 Thanks for reading!
