Day One

Day 1:
As predicted, my luggage was overweight. I had prepared for this so instead of paying the $50 for my extra kilos I pulled out a lot of stuff including sausage and cheese and stuff into a backpack I had folded in the suitcase. Off I went half awake with my stinky cheese to London. Upon our arrival all passengers are informed that no cheese or meat products coming into the UK are permitted. I had forgotten of my reorganization of my food goodies and happily proceeded through security to my next gate. The smell though was intensifying but I linked it the Chinese eggroll I had smuggled with me from New Jersey.

At my gate to Nairobi at London’s Heathrow, I checked out the array of passengers heading south – Kenyans, Indians, expat NGO workers, safari goers, gap year teens, awkward businessman, mercenaries, and US military or private security people. I awoke from my daze from commotion happening on the gangway. British body guards running one way, an African man running the other, and then all of them running to the plane. Quickly we were asked to board with the gate agent ignoring the general seating interval policy. A bit delirious from lack of sleep, I forgot about the commotion and quickly settled into my seat. Once the doors of the plane were shut, a large moaning erupted from the back of the plane mixed in with cries of “FUCK,” “FUCK ME,” and “FUCK YOU.” I made worried eyes with the Indian-Kenyan woman sitting next to me who shook her head and said: “deportee.” In the back of the plane was the same Kenyan man from before with 4 British agents struggling to secure him in his seat. The man did not stop crying until we reached cruising altitude level. It was painful to imagine what he was leaving behind in the UK and why he vehemently did not want to return to his country. It was also a major reality check – I have elected to move to a place to improve my life where many leave in search of a better one.