thinking of ethiopia

Whenever I travel somewhere, and I return home, there's a part of me that wonders if it was all a dream.  It doesn't have to be somewhere exotic, although it helps if it's far away -- I find myself thinking, did that really happen?  Did I go there?  Was I just imagining being there?

I did a lot of shopping for gifts when I was in Ethiopia, and this weekend I decided to get some Christmas wrapping done.  As I opened the plastic bags that my gifts were stored in, suddenly the smell of the places where I'd purchased them came rushing at me:  the smell was fresh and clean, of things like cotton and roasted coffee and clean rural air.  The smell of Ethiopia.

Oh right, I thought. I was there.

Scent is a magical thing, isn't it?

Anyway, consequently, I've had Ethiopia on my mind the last couple of days.  Since I didn't take any photographs today, I thought I'd share the photograph of the little angel I met in Ethiopia, above, a shot that I've not shared before -- I guess it's my way of taking you back to Africa with me.

(If you're traveling tonight after the long holiday in the United States, friends, or wherever you may be, safe travels home.  And have a great week, everyone.)