Back to Baku

My head is still hanging low over missing my plane connection in Istanbul Monday afternoon. I had plenty of time after a 10-hour flight from Newark, but misjudged the time for my flight to Baku. I waited over an hour for the gate number to be posted. And when it was, I went to the gate, sat down, and watched other flights depart. I listened to several gate-change announcements but it never phased me that the gate for my flight may have also changed. My jet-lagged, sleep-deprived mind registered a 15:55pm departure as 5 o'clock.

My stomach churned when I realized what had happened. I searched in vain for the word Baku on the departure board. I looked at my boarding pass and then at the current time. It was over an hour past my departure time. I was very upset with myself. Am I getting old?

I had to get over it and shift to problem-solving mode. I went to the Turkish Airlines transit desk where they readily changed my flight, and let me use a phone to call the Peace Corps 24 hour duty officer. They in turn called Macie, our Azerbaijan Director. (After that I had to wait another 6 hours in the airport for a 10:35pm flight to Baku.)

Missing that flight changed so many things about my return to AZ. First, it meant that PC driver Rashid had to pick me up at the airport at 4AM instead of 7:30PM. Think he was very welcoming? No. Think of him driving like a bat out of hell to drop me off at the Ambassador hotel. No chit-chat but thankfully he kept my 50 pound bag in the SUV so Imran could take it to Masalli.

Rashid did tell me that PC staff decided I should sleep in and come to the PC office at 10 AM. That meant that I would not get a ride with Imran to Masalli and my new host family. I knew everyone was waiting for me there and I messed up badly. I would be a day late for everything!

I needed an alarm to wake me Tuesday morning at the hotel. I was still in a fog but managed to put on my all black outfit – perfect for Azerbaijan. I walked 4 blocks to the PC offices and felt very welcomed. In fact, the staff had prepared for my swearing in with tea and cake in the conference room. It was the first time that the Country Director Macie had personally sworn in a Volunteer. Thrilled to hug Dr. Guney and so happy that I was near tears.

Everything seemed so normal. I went to the PC lounge and met up with 2 AZ9s. Driver Rashid drove me and the new training director Rita to the US Embassy. After that he took me to get a new phone number and then back to my hotel. To try to make amends for his inconvenience, I gave him the rest of Pearly's homemade fudge. I did need another night at the hotel and spent time re-entering phone numbers and sending text messages.

I talked with sitemate Sally and Konul in Masalli to let them know about my delayed arrival, then fell asleep to the BBC on TV.