From Annoyance to Longing: Dire Dawa’s Unexpected Months 😁

1. It’s strange how a place can flip your feelings on their head. When I first landed in Dire Dawa—detouring here for work after a trip to Gabon—I couldn’t wait for the days to tick by. Now, as I pack my bag, I’m lingering, eyes drifting to the street outside, trying to soak in every last bit. These months weren’t what I expected; they snuck up on me, turning irritation into something softer, something like reluctance to leave. 😒🌆❤️ 2. The journey here set the tone, honestly. Addis Ababa’s airport was chaos—Ethiopians don’t seem to care much for queues. I watched someone unclip the safety rope and stroll straight to the check-in counter, no apology, no hesitation. I huffed, but what could I do? Then the flight to Dire Dawa (DIR) was an hour of quiet, save for the tiny stuffed bread they handed out. The filling was a mystery—sweet, a little grainy—but I wolfed it down. I’d barely eaten since leaving Gabon the day before, slept just three hours, and by that early morning flight, hunger won out over pickiness. 🛫🍞😤 3. Dire Dawa itself threw small surprises. Wandering one afternoon, I spotted a plant with fruits that looked like lumpy bread—round, brown, hanging in clusters. I pulled out my phone, searched “breadfruit,” but the leaves were all wrong. A local passed by, noticed me staring, and laughed. “Not food,” he said, shaking his head. I never did figure out its name, but I took a photo anyway—just a silly little mystery to tuck away. 🌳📸🤔 4. The client dinners were better than I’d hoped. One evening, they pulled out local vodka—smooth, not harsh, nothing like the fiery stuff I’d had in Kyrgyzstan years ago. “Easier to drink,” my client grinned, clinking glasses. They also brought “natural lemon water,” supposedly bottled straight from a spring. It was crisp, a little tangy, nothing fancy, but perfect with the vodka. We sat there, talking work and weather, and for a moment, it didn’t feel like a business trip—it felt like hanging out with acquaintances who’d started to feel like friends. 🥂🍋🤝 5. Time slipped by faster than I noticed. One month gone, just like that. Now, I’m rushing to wrap up work, but part of me keeps dragging my feet. Yesterday, I walked past the market one last time—the same vendor who sold me mangoes waved, and I paused to buy one, even though I wasn’t hungry. This morning, my client texted: “Lunch before you go?” I said yes, of course. Goodbyes feel small here, not grand—just a handshake, a “safe trip,” a promise to stay in touch. But they stick, all the same. 🕒🥭👋 6. I’m ready to go back “home”—to my routine, my own bed. But Dire Dawa’s snuck into the cracks, too. The chaos of the airport, the mystery bread, that unidentifiable plant, the smooth vodka and spring water, the people who didn’t feel like strangers for long. It started with annoyance, but it ends with this: a little ache in my chest, a mental note to “visit again someday.” Funny how places do that—they don’t just change your plans. They change how you remember them. 🌟 #DireDawaDiaries #WorkTripTurnedMemories #FromGabonToEthiopia #TravelSurprises #GoodbyeForNow