Now, I know how intriguing the title of this post is, but in the interest of accuracy, I think that I should start with my actual week. I have a set schedule now, where I am going to visit the women who make the bags and interview them about their lives while taking content for the NGO that supports them on Tuesday afternoons. On Thursday afternoons, I will be visiting the old age home through the same NGO to work with the older people, talk to them, and ask some questions for content as well. They are quite lonely there so I think it is nice for both of us to chat once a week, drink chai, play games, and just connect. They don’t get a lot of activities in the home, and in India, the only reason to be in a home is if you were abandoned by your family, so there aren’t many around the city, and there isn’t a lot of support for them. Every morning from 9am to 12pm, I go to the animal shelter to work with the dogs, and help out however I can. I have gotten so attached to so many of the precious dogs there who have some sort of disability and can’t be released back into the city. There is a little dog with rickets who I am helping practice walking so that he will be able to run one day, as currently he can only walk a few steps before falling over. Many of the disabled dogs just sit in one place all day, aren’t able to move much and don’t get a lot of attention because the staff are busy dealing with the fatally injured and sick dogs. I often go and sit with those dogs, and just pet them and talk to them so they are less lonely. Additionally, I have started taking on the tasks of feeding the monkeys and parrots. I cut up their fruit, and distribute the food within the enclosure. My remaining afternoons are filled with various tasks for SBB, making videos, posting stories, editing, interviewing teachers or kids from school, etc. I am really feeling confident that I am getting into a groove of working here and I hope I am making at least a small impact on a few lives. The volunteers are still amazing, our workshops this week were how to wrap sari and cooking dinner all together in the apartment, both of which were very fun. We said goodbye to Rajani, and welcomed a new volunteer (Sean), who is doing a culinary internship!
For anybody who doesn’t know, I will now provide a quick recap of the suitcase saga. I brought on my big trip only one small carry on suitcase and a backpack, as traveling light is always preferred and checked bags often come with many issues. My second of four flights here was from Atlanta to Paris, and before I got on the plane the flight attendants told me they were going to have to take my bag and check it. I said please don’t I am going on a big trip and would much rather keep it with me, I have no problems keeping my backpack on my lap, I promise I won’t take up too much space. The plane was about to leave and they basically told me that I would need to give them the bag now or find a different flight. As I had a bunch more flights still, I reluctantly agreed and handed over my bag. Before being rushed onto the plane in a panic. I also specifically asked if I could pick it up in Paris and continue from there, but they said the only option would be to have it sent to my final destination. I arrived in Mumbai, and I went to go get my suitcase… and nothing. I tried to talk to a bunch of help desks but I honestly wasn’t sure what to do, and at this point it was 1am and I had just gotten off a 10 hour flight. Upon closer inspection of the tag they gave me when they took my bag, I realized that it had somebody else’s name and flight details on it. So Air France took my bag, and sent it to somebody else’s destination. I went through customs in hopes I could find an Air France help desk to tell them the situation, and then found out that the only place I could talk to them was before I went through customs, So I tried to fill out a missing baggage claim, but they said the final airline would be responsible not them. I held out hope that maybe I would be able to get it in Jaipur, but I arrived at my final destination without my suitcase, and the airline refused to help me get it back. That suitcase had all of my clothes, toiletries, journals, vitamins, a spare towel, etc. and I had to buy so much stuff once I got here to make up for losing it. After 2 weeks of trying and trying to get it back, calling airlines, making complaints, nothing was working. And through it all, the most annoying part was that I had put an airtag in the suitcase so I could see its exact location. At the Nairobi airport.
Now, this week, I was talking with one of the other volunteers, Bella, and complaining about this whole fiasco, when she said, just go get it. At that moment, I snapped and I was like yeah, I should just go get it! I have the location and the original tag, why not. I talked with my parents and they agreed and I booked the tickets. This past Friday night, I got on a plane from Jaipur to Kenya. I got my suitcase no problem, and had a few hours to kill before my flight back, so I actually ended up leaving the airport and doing a tiny big of exploring! I booked a car and saw a giraffe sanctuary, where I could pet and feed giraffes. I also saw a local women empowerment project there, where they make ceramic beads and design jewelry to sell ( I bought some beautiful earrings). It was so much fun and I had a great time, and I got home Sunday early morning and slept all day, which I desperately needed after something like 30 hours awake. In the end, it was a successful but crazy adventure, and I am so glad to have my stuff back.
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