And as if by some weird chance, the marine biology student was seated next to me in the plane from Addis to Stockholm. We continued telling stories from our fieldwork, and I asked her about Zanzibar. I have such fond memories from the island in the Indian ocean, and am almost a bit afraid of going back. What if it isn’t as wonderful as I remember it? She, at least, seemed to have had a wonderful time.
In the morning, when we started descending, and I could see the lakes and the conifers, all covered in snow, I could barely contain my excitement. I was almost home!
We arrived in a Stockholm with a light cover of snow, clear skies, and minus twelve degrees. When I left Accra, it had been thirty-five. An almost fifty degree difference in temperature doesn’t even physically make sense, not for the body. I was in limbo and it will probably take several days for me to get used to all the new sensations.
Dad met me at the airport, and followed me all the way home. Finally, knowing where I was and not having to take all the responsibility by myself.
Coming home, though, was kind of anti-climactic. There was so much that I needed to do: unpack, laundry, grocery shopping, getting my winter clothes from the attic, answer e-mails, pay bills, wash myself, eat.
But then, finally, I could change into my pajama and crawl into my bed, between my sheets, with my pillows and my smells. Quite unbeatable, that feeling.
And that, dear reader, is a nice finish to my trip. The notebook is full, I’m writing these words on the last page. Now, I’ll have some days of rest. And then: the next step in this process of producing a master’s thesis.
Katja Malmborg 