Africa Visit Number 3
Hey everybody! It's February! Another month down and just over 2 months to go! I'd say the time has definitely gone by fast. One of the reasons is all my extra travels outside of Germany. I just got back from my 3rd trip to Africa in as many months. This time it was to the east side of Africa, Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. It was odd being back after 6 years. Some things have changed, but some remained the same.
I had to travel down there because the new Finance troop that was supposed to show up had a last minute disqualification, so someone needed to fill the gap for a bit. We found out they weren't coming on the day they were supposed to arrive in Germany. Talk about last minute! There was a lot of scrambling, but when the dust finally settled, I was headed out to Djibouti for 8 days. I was leaving on a Sunday night.
Sunday - Long Run & Travel Day
Since I'm still in marathon training, I needed to get my long run in before taking off on Sunday night. I managed to knock out 16 miles that morning. The longest I've run since 2016! Though, I'm going to recommend that if you have 12 hours of traveling coming up, try to avoid running 16 miles that morning. My legs were not exactly happy with me. The rest of my day consisted of packing, dishes, and cleaning up my room. A co worker picked me up and we grabbed some dinner on base before making the drive up to Frankfurt.
Getting through check in and security was pretty easy and I was at my gate with some time to spare. We didn't take off until 9:30pm. Oof. I was flying Ethiopian Airlines, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Turns out, they had a really nice plane! The in flight entertainment and food was all great. They even accommodated my veggie life for the morning snack and found me a veggie sandwich instead of the beef one they were handing out. The 6 hour flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia went quickly. We landed around 7am. I had a few hours before my next flight and I had to switch terminals, so I made my way in that direction. Terminal 1, where I was headed, is old and dingy. It's not quite as bad as one of my other co-workers described it, but it's not exactly shiny or new. I found my gate easily and plopped down to wait for flight #2. Eventually there was an announcement that we were moving gates. I had to go wake up someone that was on my first flight because he didn't hear the announcement and would have slept right through it. I don't think anyone wants to be stranded in any airport let alone a foreign one! Once we switched gates, I ran into a few other Americans headed to the same place as me. Finally, it was time to board. The flight from Ethiopia to Djibouti is only about an hour, so it went quickly.
Monday - Arrival in Djibouti
Once we landed in Djibouti, it was time to go through customs. Somehow, I ended up being the last person in line. They were turning many people away to get visas to enter the country. I was pretty sure I would be fine, but I was warned to make sure they give me back all my documents. After what felt like forever, I finally had my turn. And just as I had hoped, I made it through no problem. I found my bag, sent it through one more security check and found the people that were waiting for me. I made sure that no locals try to carry my bag. They demand money if they "help" you out. We got to our truck and made the short drive back to base.
One of the few nice things about being back in Africa, was that I get to see the sun. Germany this time of year is always cloudy. And usually rainy or snowy. The warmth and sun was a nice change. It didn't take very long for me to get my room, so we dropped my bags off and headed right to lunch. The first person I saw in line for lunch was someone from the staff at Ramstein! Then after I sat down a few more of them showed up. It's always fun to see some familiar faces. After lunch it was time to actually put my uniform on and do some work.
The office where I was working
We headed over to the office where the head honchos sit and said hello. We talked briefly about what I was planning on doing for my week in Djibouti and that was about it. A few more pleasantries and we were out the door. It was time to get some (work) dollars! I brought a check with me to cash, so we went over to the disbursing office where they took care of me. I loaded my money into a backpack and we made a bee line for the office so I could secure it all. Once the money and safe was all taken care of, we started a bit of turnover. The Finance person that was leaving only had about a day and a half with me before he headed out. He showed me the basics and where everything was located. But by the time 5:30-6pm came around I had started to feel pretty sleepy. The night before was a poor attempt at sleeping on a flight, so I was running on minimal sleep. We got dinner, I had a chat with Ross, and dozed off with a movie.
Tuesday - Time for Turnover
As usual, I slept terrible my first night in a new place. I think I woke up 4 times. Sleep has been harder to come by more often than I thought it would, even here at Ramstein. I just need to get back home! But I digress. Tuesday was my only full day to do turn over, so we got right to it. While I'm getting set up on the computer, my emails start coming in. One catches my eye. Turns out the new replacement, which we only found out about a few days prior, is also no longer coming. HUH?! Back down to the commander's office we went, giving the news. My trip home was now in jeopardy. I was prepared to stay longer, but I was hoping it wouldn't take too long to figure out what was going on.
We also had a small change of command ceremony that day. The new squadron commander was taking the helm. I was happy to be there just as he was getting started. It was perfect timing to talk to him about what the paying agent is there to do for him and the squadron. The rest of the day was just gaining information and learning what I could from the paying agent while I could. Before the end of the day, I had to count all his money that he had been working with. I would eventually be taking responsibility for that money, so I had to make sure we agreed on how much was actually there! Once that was done, it was time to leave for the day. Everyone went their separate ways, but we all met up later at 11 Degrees (the main hang out spot) for a comedy show. The USO brought 4 comics out for our entertainment. They were all pretty funny and a little crude. A decent distraction for one night. I was able to squeeze in a chat with Ross before the show started as well! The comedy show was the end of my night. I was able to sleep better on night two!
Wednesday - Settling In
Wednesday morning I went to breakfast on my own, but ended up sitting with the Fire Chief from the 128th! Once again, it's nice to see a familiar face. It's nice to hear how someone else's deployment is going too. Once I got to work I started to settle into my temporary desk. I had to make a few phone calls to the IT help desk to get some systems access, but they were actually very helpful! I was up and running before lunch. This allowed me to keep working on things for Ramstein while in Djibouti. While all my other office mates left at their normal time, I stayed a bit later to catch up and work on as much as I could for the short time I would be in Africa. It's amazing how a quiet office can make you more productive! I still got out in time to run 5 miles before a chat with Ross and bed.
Thursday - Airfield Visit
Thursday I had breakfast with the old and new squadron commanders, the senior enlisted leader and a few others. I made sure to grab my fleece undershirt to wear in the office because it's always freezing in there! I'm pretty sure I was one of the only people to be so bundled up in Africa. I can't help it that I get cold so easily!
Earlier in the week, I asked to go out to the other site about a half hour away. Today was the day! We were supposed to go to a construction meeting at 11, so around 10 we started to get ready to leave. I had no idea that getting off base would be such a chore. Since I was only there temporarily, I didn't get a fancy pass that allowed me to come and go like everyone else. After about 40 minutes, we had a sketchy letter in hand that was supposed to get me off base. Surprisingly it worked....this time. Off we went for the very bumpy drive out to the air field.
We spent a few hours at the air field and even ran into one of the 128th members! A bunch of leadership from the 435th, where I work in Germany, was taking a tour so luckily our 11am meeting never happened. We definitely would have missed it. I got to meet a few people I had only seen the names of in emails, so that was nice. Lunch was pretty tasty too. Since the meeting that didn't happen was our main reason for coming, we didn't have more reason to stay. So back to base we went. We did see a few camels on the way back, but I wasn't able to snap any photos. I had a few more hours left of work, but didn't stay as late as the day before. I was able to knock out another 5 mile run, had my daily chat with Ross and turned in for the night.
Part of the drive from Camp Lemonnier to the Airfield
Friday - Long Day
Now it's already Friday! The week was definitely going fast, which was a good thing. I worked late, but was very productive. There was word that we have another person for this deployment. Third time's a charm? Let's hope so! Since I worked so late, I passed on a run and just went for the video chat with Ross. I always sit outside for our chats. WiFi is only available in certain areas unless you buy internet for your room. I may have been in Djibouti, but with a little wind, I was cold! Doesn't take much.
Saturday - Working the Weekend
Saturday is a workday, but there's not a whole lot of other things to do, so it kept me busy. With only a week to take care of things, I welcomed the extra work day. Everyone else in the office only worked until noon. I was there until 4:30. That also meant I missed a group game of volleyball. I wasn't particularly upset about that :) I did manage 6 miles though. It was a good run! Maybe I was getting used to the heat? I picked up my dinner of Subway again and had a video chat. Noticing a pattern here?
Turf Field and where I sat for all my video chats
Sunday - Fun Day?
Off day! Even though there's not a ton to do, having one day off is nice. I tried to get myself out of bed at 6am to go for my long run....45 min later I was finally out the door. Getting up early to run is hard! My goal was 18 miles. I was reminded that it gets hot quick in Djibouti. And, I found out I had not gotten used to the heat. By 11 miles I was getting pretty worn down. I managed 2.5 more then called it a day. 13.5 miles is still not bad, but not nearly what I had hoped for. I'm getting more and more nervous for this marathon as the days go by. I think this race will remain my nemesis. Which probably means I'll do another one. *sigh*
After my run I was much more exhausted than I thought I would be. I really was not used to the heat! All I wanted was a nap. But I knew I should probably walk around a little to help my legs not stiffen up. So I walked to Pizza Hut and got myself a tasty 'za. Pizza and a movie in my room. Then nap. Ahh....Sunday. Since it was the weekend, Ross was free for a chat a little earlier than usual. I also got to talk to my parents. Once my chats were done I was headed straight for bed!
Monday - Final Work Day & Travel Day
My final day in Djibouti. Because the new person wouldn't be here for a few weeks, we decided to stick to the original plan of me only staying one week. (I was totally OK with that!) I went into work as usual, but I got the entire morning to myself. Everyone could have a late start if they watched the Super Bowl. Since we're so far ahead in time zones, the game was on about 2:30-5:30am. No thank you. I'll take the quiet office! Finally around noon the rest of the gang strolled in. I still had some packing to take care of, so eventually I went back to my room quick to take care of last minute things. I was hoping I'd actually get to do some Paying Agent work (aka make a Payment), but it never materialized. It would have to wait for my return. It did save me some paperwork! With that, it was about time for me to get ready to head back to Germany.
Remember that sketchy letter that got me off base last time? Well, of course it didn't work this time. We were trying to figure out what needed to be done while a huge line of cars was piling up behind us as the front gate. I can't blame the Army, they were just doing their job. It was the sketchy letter from the Navy that got us stuck in this situation in the first place. Eventually after 15 minutes or so, they pulled us to the side so everyone else could leave. It was finally determined we needed to head back to the Quarterdeck, where I got this letter, and get a new one that was properly typed up. This is the reason I leave so early for the airport! I'm already an anxious traveler. This didn't help. We made it back to the Quarterdeck and eventually got the paperwork we needed. My flight was at 7. We originally headed out at 5. It was now almost 5:45. To the airport we went.
Lucky for me, the airport is very close. 10 minute drive if that. So my worries were really for nothing. The guys dropped me off and in the airport I went. It was more crowded than I thought it would be, but I managed to get my tickets, bag checked, and through security fairly easily. Our flight left on time and made it to Ethiopia without a problem. I had a long layover in that airport, but it was on the nice side, so I didn't mind. The flight from Ethiopia to Germany was smooth. I had a whole row of 3 seats to myself, so could stretch out and sleep. I even acquired one of the fantastic Ethiopian Airlines blankets! Best airline blanket ever. Seriously!
Tuesday - Back in Germany
Getting my bag and through customs in Germany was easier than leaving the base in Djibouti. I found the meeting point for my shuttle and only had to wait there about 15 minutes. A little more than an hour shuttle ride and I was back to my room! It was about 8am Tuesday morning. I took a short nap, eventually got up and going, stopped into the office for a minute, then unpacked and did laundry in the afternoon.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a good trip. Always good to be back to your "regular" surroundings. It had seemed like I picked a good week to be gone, because everyone was sick. I was glad to avoid that. Or so I though. I'm pretty sure all my co-workers coughed on my keyboard and licked my phone. Because by Thursday afternoon, I was sick. Thanks guys. I've spent the weekend feeling miserable. And the biggest thing on my mind? I'm missing another key run in my marathon training, which is exactly 4 weeks away. Eeek!
I have one more (hopefully the last one) trip to Africa coming up soon, so keep an eye out for the next post!
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| Tapitedeia Parekhomen - We Support |
I had to travel down there because the new Finance troop that was supposed to show up had a last minute disqualification, so someone needed to fill the gap for a bit. We found out they weren't coming on the day they were supposed to arrive in Germany. Talk about last minute! There was a lot of scrambling, but when the dust finally settled, I was headed out to Djibouti for 8 days. I was leaving on a Sunday night.
Sunday - Long Run & Travel Day
Since I'm still in marathon training, I needed to get my long run in before taking off on Sunday night. I managed to knock out 16 miles that morning. The longest I've run since 2016! Though, I'm going to recommend that if you have 12 hours of traveling coming up, try to avoid running 16 miles that morning. My legs were not exactly happy with me. The rest of my day consisted of packing, dishes, and cleaning up my room. A co worker picked me up and we grabbed some dinner on base before making the drive up to Frankfurt.
Getting through check in and security was pretty easy and I was at my gate with some time to spare. We didn't take off until 9:30pm. Oof. I was flying Ethiopian Airlines, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Turns out, they had a really nice plane! The in flight entertainment and food was all great. They even accommodated my veggie life for the morning snack and found me a veggie sandwich instead of the beef one they were handing out. The 6 hour flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia went quickly. We landed around 7am. I had a few hours before my next flight and I had to switch terminals, so I made my way in that direction. Terminal 1, where I was headed, is old and dingy. It's not quite as bad as one of my other co-workers described it, but it's not exactly shiny or new. I found my gate easily and plopped down to wait for flight #2. Eventually there was an announcement that we were moving gates. I had to go wake up someone that was on my first flight because he didn't hear the announcement and would have slept right through it. I don't think anyone wants to be stranded in any airport let alone a foreign one! Once we switched gates, I ran into a few other Americans headed to the same place as me. Finally, it was time to board. The flight from Ethiopia to Djibouti is only about an hour, so it went quickly.
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| Time to catch a flight! |
Once we landed in Djibouti, it was time to go through customs. Somehow, I ended up being the last person in line. They were turning many people away to get visas to enter the country. I was pretty sure I would be fine, but I was warned to make sure they give me back all my documents. After what felt like forever, I finally had my turn. And just as I had hoped, I made it through no problem. I found my bag, sent it through one more security check and found the people that were waiting for me. I made sure that no locals try to carry my bag. They demand money if they "help" you out. We got to our truck and made the short drive back to base.
One of the few nice things about being back in Africa, was that I get to see the sun. Germany this time of year is always cloudy. And usually rainy or snowy. The warmth and sun was a nice change. It didn't take very long for me to get my room, so we dropped my bags off and headed right to lunch. The first person I saw in line for lunch was someone from the staff at Ramstein! Then after I sat down a few more of them showed up. It's always fun to see some familiar faces. After lunch it was time to actually put my uniform on and do some work.
The office where I was working
We headed over to the office where the head honchos sit and said hello. We talked briefly about what I was planning on doing for my week in Djibouti and that was about it. A few more pleasantries and we were out the door. It was time to get some (work) dollars! I brought a check with me to cash, so we went over to the disbursing office where they took care of me. I loaded my money into a backpack and we made a bee line for the office so I could secure it all. Once the money and safe was all taken care of, we started a bit of turnover. The Finance person that was leaving only had about a day and a half with me before he headed out. He showed me the basics and where everything was located. But by the time 5:30-6pm came around I had started to feel pretty sleepy. The night before was a poor attempt at sleeping on a flight, so I was running on minimal sleep. We got dinner, I had a chat with Ross, and dozed off with a movie.
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| My room for the week |
As usual, I slept terrible my first night in a new place. I think I woke up 4 times. Sleep has been harder to come by more often than I thought it would, even here at Ramstein. I just need to get back home! But I digress. Tuesday was my only full day to do turn over, so we got right to it. While I'm getting set up on the computer, my emails start coming in. One catches my eye. Turns out the new replacement, which we only found out about a few days prior, is also no longer coming. HUH?! Back down to the commander's office we went, giving the news. My trip home was now in jeopardy. I was prepared to stay longer, but I was hoping it wouldn't take too long to figure out what was going on.
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| 11 Degrees |
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| 11 Degrees |
We also had a small change of command ceremony that day. The new squadron commander was taking the helm. I was happy to be there just as he was getting started. It was perfect timing to talk to him about what the paying agent is there to do for him and the squadron. The rest of the day was just gaining information and learning what I could from the paying agent while I could. Before the end of the day, I had to count all his money that he had been working with. I would eventually be taking responsibility for that money, so I had to make sure we agreed on how much was actually there! Once that was done, it was time to leave for the day. Everyone went their separate ways, but we all met up later at 11 Degrees (the main hang out spot) for a comedy show. The USO brought 4 comics out for our entertainment. They were all pretty funny and a little crude. A decent distraction for one night. I was able to squeeze in a chat with Ross before the show started as well! The comedy show was the end of my night. I was able to sleep better on night two!
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| Pine is keeper of the cash |
Wednesday morning I went to breakfast on my own, but ended up sitting with the Fire Chief from the 128th! Once again, it's nice to see a familiar face. It's nice to hear how someone else's deployment is going too. Once I got to work I started to settle into my temporary desk. I had to make a few phone calls to the IT help desk to get some systems access, but they were actually very helpful! I was up and running before lunch. This allowed me to keep working on things for Ramstein while in Djibouti. While all my other office mates left at their normal time, I stayed a bit later to catch up and work on as much as I could for the short time I would be in Africa. It's amazing how a quiet office can make you more productive! I still got out in time to run 5 miles before a chat with Ross and bed.
Thursday - Airfield Visit
Thursday I had breakfast with the old and new squadron commanders, the senior enlisted leader and a few others. I made sure to grab my fleece undershirt to wear in the office because it's always freezing in there! I'm pretty sure I was one of the only people to be so bundled up in Africa. I can't help it that I get cold so easily!
Earlier in the week, I asked to go out to the other site about a half hour away. Today was the day! We were supposed to go to a construction meeting at 11, so around 10 we started to get ready to leave. I had no idea that getting off base would be such a chore. Since I was only there temporarily, I didn't get a fancy pass that allowed me to come and go like everyone else. After about 40 minutes, we had a sketchy letter in hand that was supposed to get me off base. Surprisingly it worked....this time. Off we went for the very bumpy drive out to the air field.
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| This is Djibouti |
We spent a few hours at the air field and even ran into one of the 128th members! A bunch of leadership from the 435th, where I work in Germany, was taking a tour so luckily our 11am meeting never happened. We definitely would have missed it. I got to meet a few people I had only seen the names of in emails, so that was nice. Lunch was pretty tasty too. Since the meeting that didn't happen was our main reason for coming, we didn't have more reason to stay. So back to base we went. We did see a few camels on the way back, but I wasn't able to snap any photos. I had a few more hours left of work, but didn't stay as late as the day before. I was able to knock out another 5 mile run, had my daily chat with Ross and turned in for the night.
Part of the drive from Camp Lemonnier to the Airfield
Friday - Long Day
Now it's already Friday! The week was definitely going fast, which was a good thing. I worked late, but was very productive. There was word that we have another person for this deployment. Third time's a charm? Let's hope so! Since I worked so late, I passed on a run and just went for the video chat with Ross. I always sit outside for our chats. WiFi is only available in certain areas unless you buy internet for your room. I may have been in Djibouti, but with a little wind, I was cold! Doesn't take much.
Saturday - Working the Weekend
Saturday is a workday, but there's not a whole lot of other things to do, so it kept me busy. With only a week to take care of things, I welcomed the extra work day. Everyone else in the office only worked until noon. I was there until 4:30. That also meant I missed a group game of volleyball. I wasn't particularly upset about that :) I did manage 6 miles though. It was a good run! Maybe I was getting used to the heat? I picked up my dinner of Subway again and had a video chat. Noticing a pattern here?
Turf Field and where I sat for all my video chats
Sunday - Fun Day?
Off day! Even though there's not a ton to do, having one day off is nice. I tried to get myself out of bed at 6am to go for my long run....45 min later I was finally out the door. Getting up early to run is hard! My goal was 18 miles. I was reminded that it gets hot quick in Djibouti. And, I found out I had not gotten used to the heat. By 11 miles I was getting pretty worn down. I managed 2.5 more then called it a day. 13.5 miles is still not bad, but not nearly what I had hoped for. I'm getting more and more nervous for this marathon as the days go by. I think this race will remain my nemesis. Which probably means I'll do another one. *sigh*
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| Recovering at the Turf Field after my long run |
After my run I was much more exhausted than I thought I would be. I really was not used to the heat! All I wanted was a nap. But I knew I should probably walk around a little to help my legs not stiffen up. So I walked to Pizza Hut and got myself a tasty 'za. Pizza and a movie in my room. Then nap. Ahh....Sunday. Since it was the weekend, Ross was free for a chat a little earlier than usual. I also got to talk to my parents. Once my chats were done I was headed straight for bed!
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| Part of the living area at night |
Monday - Final Work Day & Travel Day
My final day in Djibouti. Because the new person wouldn't be here for a few weeks, we decided to stick to the original plan of me only staying one week. (I was totally OK with that!) I went into work as usual, but I got the entire morning to myself. Everyone could have a late start if they watched the Super Bowl. Since we're so far ahead in time zones, the game was on about 2:30-5:30am. No thank you. I'll take the quiet office! Finally around noon the rest of the gang strolled in. I still had some packing to take care of, so eventually I went back to my room quick to take care of last minute things. I was hoping I'd actually get to do some Paying Agent work (aka make a Payment), but it never materialized. It would have to wait for my return. It did save me some paperwork! With that, it was about time for me to get ready to head back to Germany.
Remember that sketchy letter that got me off base last time? Well, of course it didn't work this time. We were trying to figure out what needed to be done while a huge line of cars was piling up behind us as the front gate. I can't blame the Army, they were just doing their job. It was the sketchy letter from the Navy that got us stuck in this situation in the first place. Eventually after 15 minutes or so, they pulled us to the side so everyone else could leave. It was finally determined we needed to head back to the Quarterdeck, where I got this letter, and get a new one that was properly typed up. This is the reason I leave so early for the airport! I'm already an anxious traveler. This didn't help. We made it back to the Quarterdeck and eventually got the paperwork we needed. My flight was at 7. We originally headed out at 5. It was now almost 5:45. To the airport we went.
Lucky for me, the airport is very close. 10 minute drive if that. So my worries were really for nothing. The guys dropped me off and in the airport I went. It was more crowded than I thought it would be, but I managed to get my tickets, bag checked, and through security fairly easily. Our flight left on time and made it to Ethiopia without a problem. I had a long layover in that airport, but it was on the nice side, so I didn't mind. The flight from Ethiopia to Germany was smooth. I had a whole row of 3 seats to myself, so could stretch out and sleep. I even acquired one of the fantastic Ethiopian Airlines blankets! Best airline blanket ever. Seriously!
Tuesday - Back in Germany
Getting my bag and through customs in Germany was easier than leaving the base in Djibouti. I found the meeting point for my shuttle and only had to wait there about 15 minutes. A little more than an hour shuttle ride and I was back to my room! It was about 8am Tuesday morning. I took a short nap, eventually got up and going, stopped into the office for a minute, then unpacked and did laundry in the afternoon.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a good trip. Always good to be back to your "regular" surroundings. It had seemed like I picked a good week to be gone, because everyone was sick. I was glad to avoid that. Or so I though. I'm pretty sure all my co-workers coughed on my keyboard and licked my phone. Because by Thursday afternoon, I was sick. Thanks guys. I've spent the weekend feeling miserable. And the biggest thing on my mind? I'm missing another key run in my marathon training, which is exactly 4 weeks away. Eeek!
I have one more (hopefully the last one) trip to Africa coming up soon, so keep an eye out for the next post!
Firstly, Get better soon! ...Sorry to hear you caught a nasty bug!
ReplyDeleteSeems like I'm one of the very (lucky) few that hasn't contracted the flu or any of the other miserable ailments going around (knock on wood).
So happy to hear you're back in Germany, though, I know the weather isn't the greatest, as it mimics Wisconsin's weather... and it really sucks back home!
Two months to go... it's flying-by (seems like it, at least on my end) though I'm sure there's a guy who'd disagree with me (that's not surprising either).
You've been to so many places... I'm truly envious! Though I'm content hunkering-down here as the weather has finally been getting nicer and I get to see/enjoy "My" beach again! ...and the sky!
Stay safe! You mean the world to me and so many others...especially, well, you know who!
Keep us updated...
Love, Meem