I made it!

This mornig I woke up to beautiful golden morning with palm trees and a sea breeze from the gorgeous green Atlantic Ocean (having trouble uploading pictures, but they're on Facebook). My trip here went well. I was surprised at how emotional I was saying goodbye yesterday. I think it was a combination of saying goodbye, nerves about going to a new country by myself and being excited that my lifelong dream is finally coming true! My parents and my boyfriend, Alex, were so nice to take me to the airport and see me off. (Saving tons of money by not leaving my car at the airport for a little over 3 months:)
I flew from Huntsville, AL, to Chicago, IL, on to Brussels, Belgium and finally to Banjul, Gambia. All flights went well except for there were a LOT of babies on the international flights. I love babies, but these were the angriest babies I have ever come across. They made sure no one got any rest. The man sitting next to me called it "surround sound." Thankfully, on the trip from Belgium to Gambia, the babies weren't quite as persistent and I got a few Z's in. I even woke myself up snoring! So embarrassing!
I was suprised to be dreadfully under dressed on that flight. The men were either dressed in very high fashion suits or designer shirts or in majestic African tunics. The women were in high heels and dresses and scarfs. One woman wore a hat that looked like she just left Prince William and Kate's wedding!
I pre-booked a resort which was supposed to pick me up from the airport. They were late so the airport manager sat with me, got me a drink, and told me all that he loved about his country. He was so nice, and every older man that passed kept on telling me that was his son. He must have had at least 5 fathers! The trip to the resort took about 45 minutes through the country and a small village. It looks a lot like many of the 3rd world countries that I've been to. Lots of compounds built with cinder blocks. Many people on the street socializing, selling things, and several people going for jogs. I asked why so many people were running and my driver told me that jogging is a favorite form of exercises! I don't think I've ever seen that in a third world country!
My resort is gorgeous and located right across the street from the UN offices. ( A very pleasant surprise!) There are very few guests here, as it is not the tourist season here because it is much too hot. The weather is a lot like a summer in Alabama~hot and very humid. All the workers here know me by name already! The guests all watched a soccer match last night on television. I'm not sure who played but the guests were NOT happy with the winner. I think it may have been Manchester United? The grounds here are absolutely beautiful, with lots of flowers, exotic birds an impeccable large swimming pool, several bars and restaurants. My room is very nice with a powerful air conditioner, hot water (it's hard to get it cool enough!), satellite television (I watched Oprah's last show last night) and a great view of the ocean.
This morning I got up early to go to church with a woman I met here. Unfortunately my malaria medicine made me very sick. I went back to bed and stayed there until early this afternoon. Then I took a walk on the beach and had drinks at the pool. The beach has very beautiful horses and very few people. Both big surprises! I'm about to go into town to check things out with a few friends I made here. Until later!