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The Not-So-Perfect Travel Day

Published on by Avery DeValkLeave a comment

September 16th, 2025. I had been anticipating this day for a while. The long haul to a different continent over 6,000 miles away from home. This was also going to be the longest flight I had ever been on: A nine-hour flight from Denver International Airport to Heathrow Airport in London. Right after that I would have another five-hour flight that I would have to run to catch from Heathrow to Cyprus, because I only had an hour between the two flights, leading the total time sitting on a plane to be around 14 hours.

I was already particularly nervous because it was going to be a long way from home, in a place I was unfamiliar with, and the flight was going to be uncomfortably long for me. The only thing I hoped for that day was to have an unproblematic travel day. No delays, no re-bookings, no getting lost in a foreign country. This did not end up being the case. My flight to Heathrow from Denver ended up being delayed by half-an-hour due to weather and issues with the aircraft. This caused us to miss our layover…which ended being quite the task to get re-booked. We ended up having to wait at the airport for nine hours for our new flight. We also ended up having some immigration issues, and some of the bookings agents were not too helpful. Our flight ended up landing in Larnaca, Cyprus around 3 A.M. It was quite exhausting, and I got little to no sleep and found myself in tears a few times, but they did give me a 10-dollar drink voucher (which was only enough for a cheap beer), so it wasn’t all too bad.

After some reflection, it definitely wasn’t the absolute worst travel day possible, and I’d say I learned quite a bit from it. So how did I get to Cyprus safe and sound despite all the issues? First thing, my dad flew me out, which was a lifesaver. He is a well-traveled guy and has been to a ton of different places across the world, so I knew I could trust him to help out. Second thing, there were other people in my study abroad program on my flight, so we were able to flock together and work through it. Having people in the same boat as you will make things better. The last thing, communicating. Communication with global semesters (my abroad program), customer service representatives (even if one isn’t helpful, another one will be), and even parents who were not present all proved to be very beneficial in helping me through the travel.

Nobody is immune to travel issues. Stuff happens that is out of anybody’s control, and you just got to roll with it. Here are some key things to take away from my travel experience:

  • Know your resources – Have phone numbers and emails of people who can help you out in a sticky-situation. This can be a program coordinator, an educated adult, or anybody else that you think would be helpful.
  • Connect with people on your flight that are in your program – We had a large group chat organized by our program with all the students in it. People from my flight were able to text about the delay and we were able to connect.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help – A foreign place is scary, but I’ve discovered that there are many people around that are willing to help out.
  • Keep your phone charged – My phone died a few times and the only reason I could find my gate number is because my dad was with me, and not everybody is in a situation where they are traveling with somebody.

I’m not writing this to scare anybody about traveling, as I would do it again if it meant I still got to come to Cyprus. I more want you all to remember this in case you encounter struggles too – because they can come up. Traveling isn’t easy for everybody, and that is alright.

Landing in Cyprus!
My dorm building the night I arrived!
Landing in Cyprus!
Bye bye Denver!

Two Holidays and a Funeral

Published on by Caitlin TurkLeave a comment

Salaam maalekum! This means “hello” in Wolof. Technically, it translates to “Peace be upon you”—not a phrase you’re likely to hear outside of a religious setting in the U.S. However, in Senegal, “Salaam maalekum” and the corresponding “Maalekum salaam” (Peace be with you too) is an essential greeting every time I encounter a friend, family member, or even complete stranger. In fact, I think I say “Salaam maalekum” at least every 30-45 seconds as I walk to school each morning. 

“Salaam maalekum” is merely one manifestation of religion’s omnipresence in Senegal. In the U.S., my family is hardly religious; we attend church perhaps once or twice a year for Christmas and Easter, and I was always more excited about watching the NORAD Santa Tracker and putting out carrots for the reindeer. While I can appreciate the impact of religion on many others’ lives, it simply has never been a large part of mine. Therefore, to my immense surprise, the prevalence of religion is one of my favorite parts of being in Senegal. 

My host family is Muslim and belongs to the Mouride brotherhood. One morning, my mom told me about an upcoming holiday called Mawlid; it celebrates the birth of the prophet Muhammad.  She told me there would be singing in the streets. What she did not tell me, however, was this: There would be huge white tents and colorful prayer mats completely barricading the street leading up to my house. Hundreds of people dressed in their finest clothes milled about in the street, in the house, or in between. Young children distributed water in plastic bags and carried all sorts of ingredients to prepare the dinner. 

Never before have I been so aware of how white my skin is. I smiled my very American smile and said “Salaam maalekum!” to dozens of clusters of people speaking Wolof. I found my mom and greeted her, but she was clearly preoccupied with organizing all of the festivities. I set my backpack down in my room, returned to the common space, and took an empty seat.

At first, only the men were willing to talk with me. I chatted or just sat observing for perhaps half an hour before I saw my mom again and asked her if there was anything I could do to help. “Tu sais éplucher des carottes?” she asked. “Éplucher?” I asked. I didn’t know that word. She mimed peeling carrots, and I responded: “Oh! Enlever la peau des carottes?” I asked her if that meant taking off the carrots’ skin; I couldn’t think of another way to clarify it! “Waaw,” she replied, using the Wolof word for “yes.”

I cut carrots and cucumbers for the next hour or so before I was served dinner. Typically, I eat with my family around a large bowl, and we use our right hand—never the left!—with a bit of baguette bread to eat. Tonight, however, I ate by myself. 

Feeling a little lonely, I decided to explore around the house. I found my mom and she told me to peek outside, and I finally saw the origin of the chanting I had been hearing for the past several hours. Perhaps 15 or so men walked in a circle, each of their right hands placed on the back of the man in front of them. My mom encouraged me to take pictures and videos, so I did! 

I then returned back inside, hoping to find someone to talk to. I found many: a group of girls aged 9-13 who were very interested in my hair and couldn’t believe I didn’t speak Wolof yet (at this point, I had been in Senegal for less than two weeks). Over the next three hours, they hosted an impromptu Wolof lesson for me while simultaneously giving me a variety of new hairstyles. At around 1am, my friend from school Abby arrived with her host family to participate in the festivities. We ate a second dinner and so many puff-puffs (sugared beignets) at 2am, and then one of my young Wolof professors asked if we wanted to join the service outside. 

We had to borrow headscarves (foulards) from my host mom in order to attend, and I had to change from pants to a skirt. We skirted around the tent to its main entrance, where we saw a hundred or so men sitting on prayer mats while the women all sat behind them in chairs. I watched and listened to the chants, starting to feel the fatigue of being up so late. I was offered coffee, which I accepted, but it had no effect. Sleepy but so grateful to have experienced Mawlid, I went to my room, locked the door, and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow at 4am. 

On a far more somber note, my family also recently hosted the reception for a funeral. It had a similar appearance to Mawlid: hundreds of people, large white tents, lots of water distribution and food preparation. This time, I had a slightly better idea of what the night would hold. 

When I had left for school that morning, my mom told me that she had just lost her nephew, who had been in the hospital for the entire month I had been living with my host family. I told her I was very sorry for her loss and asked her if there is anything I could do. She told me it was God’s plan and to have a good day. 

After school, I asked the Student Services Coordinator, Fatima, about what to do in the case of a death in the family. Apparently, in Senegal it is customary to give money to the immediate family of the deceased. However, my mom is not in the immediate family, so Fatima told me it would be best to express condolences and leave it at that. I mentioned that my family in the U.S. provides food and asked whether that would be appropriate. Fatima smiled. 

My mom’s favorite snack of peanuts clutched in my hand, I found her. I expressed my condolences and offered her the bag. She smiled too.

The rest of the evening, I made small talk in French and Wolof with some familiar faces from Mawlid, and went to bed early in order to give my family the appropriate space.

Lastly, in a country 95% populated by Muslims, I have been so fortunate to have experienced another religion as well! Two of the ten students in my program are Jewish, so we had our own Rosh Hashanah celebration at school. We ate challah bread and apples with honey and a whole assortment of pastries we got from a Brioche Dorée expedition. Jews and Muslims and Buddhists and one Hindu and atheists/agnostics alike, we all celebrated together. 

Despite not having religion be a significant part of my own life, I am so grateful to my host family and my friends for inviting me to participate in their own traditions. I am so excited to see what the next few months will hold! 

Ba ci kanam / À bientôt / See you soon, 

Caitlin