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NOTE: The following is a journal entry about an unexpected trip to Suez that my company sent me on. I divided it into several parts. I would recommend skipping this section if you have a short attention span. The text is pretty long and meant more for my family (and I'm not sure even they'll read it all), so don't feel obligated. Part I is below!
3/17/01 - Part I
In the last week, I�ve asked myself many questions about my life such as it currently is. I�ve asked why am I doing this? Why am I traveling for a living? Is this what I really want? And here�s why:
Last weekend I awoke at around 9 a.m. in Alexandria. I had just spent the previous day on the beach in a nearby town called Agamy. It wasn�t warm enough to get in the water, or even to wear shorts, but it was nice to hear the ocean as I read and talked with friends. It was very relaxing, and I was finally feeling like I was getting used to my surroundings. I would even go so far as to say I was getting the hang of things in general. I probably should have been suspicious that something would go soon wrong.
So as I was saying, I awoke very calm and expected to spend the day lounging around the house and possibly taking care of some errands that needed to be done. First, I decided to check my email. As I downloaded the new messages, I saw one titled, "Andy Carstens needed for short-term assignment!!" Oh shit, I thought. I was hoping that it wasn�t what it sounded like since I�ve only been training for 1 month. But alas, I was needed for a data collection assignment in Suez, Egypt. Oh and by the way, did I mention that I was leaving that very same day?
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| This is the view from my hotel room. It was really nice to watch the boats float by on the Suez Canal. |
I think I could feel every muscle in my body tense up as every ounce of relaxation seeped out of my pores. I frantically read the email and tried to decide my next course of action. The email was copied to my current boss, Dan; so I decided to call him.
We chatted for about 5 minutes, and decided that I should go to the refinery to meet him. Basically, I was supposed to go to Suez to collect some data to evaluate the current catalyst being used by the customer. This data would then be compared to their new catalyst, which they�re about to get from UOP. We have guaranteed that the new catalyst will be better in certain ways, and it was my job to take "before" data.
Once I got the scoop (which left me feeling about 7% ready for the job), I headed back to my apartment to pack before the driver arrived at 4 p.m. to whisk me away. I arrived back at the apartment around 2:30 p.m. and spent the last hour and a half desperately cramming a suitcase with a weeks worth of clothes, a camera, a few books, a bottle of rum (since Dan had the brilliant foresight to tell me there was no liquor in Suez), and anything else I thought I would need for the job.
The drive to Suez took about five and a half hours. It should have taken about 4, but the traffic through Cairo was a nightmare. I spent most of the drive hurriedly reading through a UOP manual trying to learn as much about the upcoming job as I could. As stressed out as I was, I made myself stop reading as we drove through Cairo. I managed to get a brief glimpse of the pyramids. It was dark when we passed, and even though they were lit, it was still difficult to see them. However, I could definitely make them out, and it inspired me to return for a better look (the next time I have a chance, that is --- see Cairo).