I barely had time to think about the end of CLS. The emotions were definitely there, getting off the plane as most of the others headed back to the comforts of home. It was unfortunately quick, as I said to myself - get your stuff, don't whack anyone with the tripod, go back and get your wallet that you left in the plane seat (this is not a good start), run out as the Lufthansa ladies begin to raise their voices, pray silently, and eventually aloud, that your bags with thousands of dollars of equipment is at the baggage claim, don't see it and try not to panic, speak some form of ameeya that you don't recognize to find your bags, praise God for their arrival and say Ramadan Kareem to everyone that helped you, find a cab to take you to the bus station, "yes I'm married," argue over tipping (I'm a poor student never works), consider yourself lucky to have gotten to the bus station an made it on a tiny bus that has no set time of leaving for Dubai, exchange Omani dates instead of paying the extra charge for all of your luggage, "no I'm not moving to Dubai I just have a lot of stuff," make friends with sweet Filipino lady Joy, get dropped off on the median of the 10 lane interstate, get sick upon getting bags to the hotel room,and wow, you're locked out of the bathroom, it's ok to pout because you didn't have sahoor, and finally give it all up because you are in a place you've always dreamed of going and thank God for always providing... now, reach a sense of calm because in however impersonal a city or strange a place - You are never alone.
