Stories

The moment we touched down in Somalia and stepped off the aircraft, a quiet tension hung in the air as I navigated my way toward the terminal. Almost instantly, a stranger materialized right beside me, keeping pace step for step and persistently trying to strike up a conversation.

With no idea who he was or what he wanted, my first instinct was to ignore him and quicken my stride. Yet, no matter how we tried to brush him off, he doggedly matched our every move, his presence growing increasingly unsettling. Finally, nerves getting the better of us, we turned and demanded to know why he was following us.

Then came the plot twist: with a calm, matter-of-fact smile, he simply announced that he was our tour guide. Stunned disbelief washed over me. Somehow, he had managed to bypass immigration and slip right into the secure airport arrivals area, standing there waiting for us the absolute second we stepped off the plane. Looking back, it was easily one of the most surreal and extraordinary welcomes I have ever experienced.