21 Feb: Pretoria/Johannesburg

As the wheels touch down in Johannesburg I say a little prayer, and I am grateful to be home for a while. I am exhausted, the sinus I thought would explode on the descent into JFK is still not letting up. Customs line is a mile long. I am pulled out of it. I am mad, definitely didn’t have my A-game on when I smiled at the official. The pregnant inspector however, takes pity and only checks my one bag and lets me through the doors where my sister anxiously awaits my arrival. My shipment from Baghdad is stuck in customs. It takes ten agonizing days to secure a release. Ten days can be a long time, a very long time.