No Place Like Home

Luggage firmly gripped in my left hand, precious one-way ticket and boarding pass firmly held in the right. After going through the rigorous regimen of checking in and weighing my luggage, which was then followed by the demeaning inspection of the white-gloved Customs Agent systematically searching my carry-on for illegal contraband and smuggled goods, I was finally authorized to continue. As I passed the point of no return- that seemingly ordinary gate through which those without a coveted boarding pass are not authorized to proceed, I took one last look over my shoulder at the country the country of my birth. Then, back straightened and confidence bolstered by all the possibilities that lay ahead, I tenderly took my first steps away from all that was familiar, towards my future.

With a coastal line of nearly 360 kilometers fringed with stunning and un- touched white sandy beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, Sierra Leone, is a country rich with unique societal values, exotic plants, natural beauty, and precious stones and minerals. The tropical rain forest is home to the genetic diversity of many rare species of monkeys, baboons, birds, and snakes. From the lush forested mountains in the municipality of Freetown, one can see over the city to endless blue of the Atlantic Ocean.

Sitting in the passenger lounge waiting to board my flight to America, I reminisced over the past decade. In 1994, Sierra Leone, formerly a beacon of education known as the “Athens of West Africa,” was destroyed by a civil war that lasted for over ten years. For over one decade rebel forces traveled through the country and dispensed unspeakable torture and brutality. Sierra Leoneans were known for being naturally hospitable and friendly. And for those of us who were in Freetown, the last place to be affected by the rebel atrocities, even believed that these so-called rebels must surely have had some sort of genetic mutation that made them extraordinarily evil.

Sad irony of all ironies, this country where the third largest diamond in the world was discovered (the 968 carat “Star of Sierra Leone”), is now listed in the United Nations Human Development Index as one of the Least Livable country in the world. However, beauty certainly lies in the eyes of the beholder. Deep in my soul, even with all the promise America has to offer I will never forget where I came from. I look forward to all the opportunities America has to offer. There is no other country in the world where out of sheer will and determination one can take absolutely nothing and turn into a great, big, and successful something. However, despite everything and acknowledging all the work that has to be done in Sierra Leone to bring the country back to its original beauty- I can truly say that now and forever, “there’s no place like home,” there’s no place like home,” there’s no place like home.”