"All roads lead to Johannesburg."

The last trip we took with Reid, he rescued us from missing our DC flight by sending an airline attendant with a wheelchair to help his parents “who needed some help!” And we certainly needed that help, too, making the flight in the nick of time as I stuck my hand through the door as they were closing the gate. Just in case you were wondering, that’s why Ian and I were 4 hours early for this trip. But we do appreciate all the help we can get, and the Ker & Downey people certainly know how to help! So far, fabulous trip! We love those guys with the signs that have our names on them! No worries with them around! No worries at all!

We’re excited that Ian’s rib isn’t hurting, and there were only a few screaming children on our Emirates flight; and even those were really cute kids. I liked the little girl who kept grabbing everyone’s hair when her mother carried her down the aisle.

We flew over Baghdad, which was overwhelming to me because I realized before how Baghdad, in my experiences, was simply a Proper noun. Not so simple really, but not real either. But there it was. On the map, but as close as I’ll probably ever be. And then that might be the closest I’ll ever get to the Holy Land as well. Well, in this earthly life, that is.

And now, after a six-hour layover in Dubai at the Dubai International Hotel -- which took us five minutes to get to once we landed and where I saw the most beautiful woman draped in a shimmery, silver, silk scarf (made me think of Bathsheba for some reason) -- we’re on our way to meet Reid in Johannesburg before continuing our adventure.

“All roads lead to Johannesburg,” Alan Paton wrote in Cry, The Beloved Country. And now mine is leading there, too.