After a long 17 hour flight back to America, and two more flights ahead before arriving back to Birmingham, I am very tired but excited to get home to a hot shower and soft bed. Yet, I am also really missing those sweet Ethiopian faces and their warm hospitality. As I sit in the airport I notice how rushed everyone is and how most people keep to themselves. Almost everyone is hooked up to an iPad or iPhone. It seems weird to me to be back to a reality where I have constant phone and internet access. I start to feel a little guilty about having such luxuries that I used to take for granted so easily. When my internet connection became spotty in the airport I did not complain like I might normally have because I could not help but to think back on the past 10 days where I had just spent in Ethiopia, with very little phone access, limited power and freezing cold water, yet even then I was living in luxury compared to the normal living conditions of Ethiopia. Most Ethiopians live in mud huts with no source of power, electric, or running water. I was very thankful for the power and water I did have while in Africa, and I loved every single second of being there! The Ethiopians are so grateful for what they do have, and I love how they never let anything go to waste. I sit in the airport with a smile on my face because I know Ethiopia has changed me for the better. Although I miss that beautiful country incredibly much and wish I could have spent even just one more day there, I know I am now a more grateful person now and won’t complain about such little things that we are so fortunate to have here in America. I will always remember the kindness the Ethiopians showed to me while I was a guest to their country and how grateful I am for having this opportunity to travel abroad and meet such wonderful people. 
