My time in the US has been a whirlwind tour. I met an old college friend in Los Angeles and spent the day resting at his house. The 13 hour flight from Sydney to LA had been exhausting and it was nice to sit on his couch. Later that afternoon, we met up with my friend Vartan who I had just visited with in New Zealand. He was back in the US to finish his second year in graduate school. Strangely enough, he convinced us to go to a networking happy hour. While initially thinking I would be out of place, I actually enjoyed because it was like being back in the swing of things here in the US.

I finally arrived in Mount Vernon, Alabama on Wednesday, October 1. I had two brief days of rest before heading out again to the Mid-Atlantic region of the US. I was attending the wedding of a dear friend in Philadelphia, PA. I met Shami in 2009 when my friend (Myal) living in Rwanda recommended that Shami spend a few nights with my roommate and I. Shami is from Rwanda and was making his first trip to the US. I didn’t know what to expect at that time, I had never traveled to Africa and my only international trips were to Ecuador and India. Shami’s visit was an enlightening experience and the start to a great friendship. He has since returned the favor by hosting by brother and I when we were in Rwanda in 2010. I am delighted that I was able to celebrate this magnificent occasion with him and his lovely wife Emily.

After the wedding, I spent a brief time in Washington, DC catching up with a few friends and conducting meetings for work (I briefly forgot that I was actually on vacation). I spent the rest of my vacation lounging on my parents couch and nursing a sinus infection. It was a nice vacation and a needed break from the busyness of Nigeria. It was very easy to grow comfortable and want to hangout much longer but the return flight beckons. It was also nice to watch an Auburn football game (despite the results). Still hoping for a magical season for Auburn! (War Eagle!)

And I’m off to my second wedding featuring a bride name Emily! Next stop Ashevillle, North Carolina!