Heading Home: 20 Hours and Counting

I think it's fair to say we are all exhausted. I couldn't even process the idea of another 20-hour plane ride. Nobody honestly wanted to talk about it. I packed my arsenal for the ride: aspirin, decongestants, Malarone, toothbrush, and socks. I drank a lot of water to start out hydrated, polishing off the bottles I had brought with me so not to have to lug them back.

My experience in Africa, and other undeveloped nations, just makes me feel that safe drinking water should not be wasted. This thought shows me, I am already noticing the changes in my 'charmed' American mindset.

I sat on the plane next to my colleague, John, an editor from Miami. He is still tackling his sinus issues, so I shared my decongestants with him and emphasized the need for them while flying. John manages international coverage for the Herald and has an enviable wealth of global experiences.

Despite his intriguing tales, I realized when I embarrassed myself by falling asleep on him midconversation that the flight home was all about paying back the heavy sleep debt we all had accumulated. Sleep debt is the number of hours of sleep your body requires to function well but has not been getting. Eventually, however, one needs to make up for that lost sleep in order to get back on track. On this trip, it is fair to say, I owe a lot. When I looked back from my seat, which was in the front of the plane, I saw everyone was passed out.

The time change in flight also made me paranoid that I would forget to take my Malarone. Each way, we lost a day traveling, but I know how important it is to continue taking the malaria prophylaxis. I must still take Malarone for seven days after I get back. In my delirium, I tried to calculate the proper time to take it based on when I took it in Tanzania, but I was probably off. You are supposed to set your watch to the time zone of your destination to start the process of adjusting. Clearly, that was not an option for me since I never found a battery for my watch.

The first 5.5 hours from Tanzania to Dubai were fine. I may have slept an hour or so. But the 14.5-hour flight to New York City was a wash. As much as I tried to fight going to sleep, even to watch a movie, I kept losing the battle. I woke up to drink water and for restroom breaks (which I hoped counted for my walking requirement). John and I did manage to get in a few good conversations, but I don't know that I've ever been this wiped out.

By the way, I managed not to get one mosquito bite. Night, night.

Related Topics: Bringing Home Illness From Overseas, Sleep and Travel

Technorati Tags: jet lag, sleep debt, travel tips