Monday, July 14, 2025
Baggage Woes: Day 1 of (W)HOLE's Ethiopian Immersion 2025
When my alarm jars me awake in the morning, my good friend "snooze" is always there for me. However, this time... this time, I was up, dressed, ready, and ecstatic to start the day.
And then the difficult part of our journey commenced. Moving all those bags. I've traveled with large numbers before, more people, more bags. However, that also means more folks loading, unloading, and watching piles of bags. It sounds counterproductive, but honestly, it was more challenging with fewer people.
I retrieved the baggage cart from the lobby. Its wheels were already squeaking. Up the elevator. Down the hall. Then, the bags. Each of us had two suitcases for checked baggage that weighed up to 70 pounds each. The cart groaned and sank a bit lower with each suitcase loaded. I was able to move it down the hallway, in and out of the elevator. However, by the time we reached the lobby, at least two of the wheels were buckling. The tires were cracking, and we were rolling on rims. In my defence, the baggage cart was looking rough before I loaded it. Really.
Each bag made it onto the hotel shuttle headed to the airport. There was space in the seating for all three of us. What could not make it on the shuttle? The wheelchair. Don't worry, no one was injured. We took a wheelchair to Fares Medium Clinic in Ethiopia. Bill sacrificed to stay back at the hotel and take the next shuttle to the airport. Lynne and I forged ahead with the baggage. Perhaps you can see where this story is going.
Good news... we made it to the Atlanta Airport. Bad news... the hotel shuttle does not drop off at the international terminal, only the domestic terminal. Cue unloading the bags. Lynne and I had all the checked bags and all the carry-ons. Eleven bags. Six of them weighing almost 70 pounds. Lynne found airport luggage carts. All through our trek through baggage claim, the bags were constantly close to toppling over, but we made it to the shuttle connecting the domestic and international terminals.
Load the bags. Unload the bags. Find the Ethiopian check-in counter at the end of the terminal. Thankfully, all we had to do at that point was wait for Bill and the wheelchair.
The rest was smooth. Security, waiting, and boarding. After nestling down in my seat, I had a chance to breathe. To breathe and look ahead to what the next thirteen days would hold. This was the second immersion trip I've led, my sixth trip to Ethiopia. I had the privilege and honor of watching Lynne take in all that was to come. Of watching Bill reconnect with friends, families, places, and Ethiopian culture.
A mere fourteen hours away people were waiting for us to arrive. My heart was waiting to re-embrace all that I love about Ethiopia, Fares Medium Clinic, (W)HOLE in the Roof, and my family. It was going to be good... really, really, good!
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Sunrise from the plane
First glimpse of Addis Ababa
Baggage claim and customs at Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport
📷Lynne Richards
