Day 1 + 2: Boston, Paris, Casablanca?

Our first day of travel with the group was rather eventful! Originally scheduled to fly out from Boston on the 26th at 8pm, our flight was continually delayed by Royal air Maroc until around midnight when they then rescheduled the flight for 10am the next day (12/27). We were able to get into a hotel room around 4am, and after a few hours of sleep, we went back to the airport at 7am. We spent a couple hours at the airport on the 27th, but Royal Air Maroc cancelled the flight due to technical problems. As tired as our group was, we remained very positive! Personally, I enjoyed every minute with our group even through the delays and cancellations. Thanks to our wonderful travel agent and the preparedness of Laurence and Moise, we took a flight last night from Boston to Paris and we will fly to Dakar in a few hours! Currently, I am writing this post from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Unfortunately, we never made it to Casablanca, but in solidarity we made the best of our situation. We played cards, swam in the hotel pool and joked about our misfortune. This past semester we learned a bit about solidarity and how the Senegalese practice solidarity on a daily basis. As a group of students, we have stayed together through the delays, cancellations and limited sleep. We worked in solidarity, and we have been able to come closer as a group and have powered through a busy first few days. Being stuck in an airport for a couple days might be the best “ice breaker”. I have spent time with everyone on the trip and have learned a lot about everyone! Nonetheless, we are all thrilled to be in Paris and even more excited to reach Dakar in a few hours. Here are some photos from the past few days. Pictured are photos from a packed shuttle ride where we all squeezed together, photos from a little walk we took outside our hotel, a photo from the airplane screen once we touched down in Paris, and lastly, a photo of everyone getting some needed rest while I write this post. A bientôt sénégal!