This last week I was afforded a fairly brief opportunity to head back to the United States (specifically Minneapolis) for work to attend Comprehensive Advanced Life Support, a class that the State Department has their new hires participate in at some point in their first couple of years at post. You can find some info about the program here, but in short, it basically is a week long crash course in how to keep folks alive in resource poor settings. Jeepers, I wonder why that might be useful information to me in Nouakchott, Mauritania?

Needless to say, the education was absolutely phenomenal, and included a robust refresher in skills like intubation, chest tubes, a cadaver lab, and playing out scenarios that could reasonably occur while at post. It was also a really long week of 10 hour classes while also fighting jet lag, but overall it was well worth the experience.

Perhaps the best thing that came of this was being reunited with my MED amigo’s from the 164th Specialist Class. We have really stayed close throughout our first few months at post, and it was delightful being able to see just about everyone from the class (and also make some new MED friends from previous classes). The hiring experience, orientation, training, and job is really unlike any other job out there, even within the FS, so you find yourself bonding with your classmates and other MED folks, because no one really gets it like they do. We picked up like we had never been apart, and it made the long days and brutal travel so incredibly worth it. I’m already counting down to our CME conference next spring where we will find ourselves reunited again.

It almost wasn’t meant to be thanks to an air traffic controller strike in West Africa last weekend, but I was able to get out safely. Sadly, the strike cancelled flights for my colleague out of Niger, and she was horribly missed by the group. Even as I write this, the strike continues in an off and on pattern and really makes it difficult for us to get to and from post in places that usually only have 2-3 flights out per week. I really hope they get things sorted out before too long.

You might be reading this post and wondering, what are some of the things you did after being gone for a few months? Well, after eating some way too spicy Thai food that gave me stomach issues that 3 months in Africa never did, I found myself at the Mall of America reliving my childhood fantasies from the second Mighty Ducks movie. Roller coasters, restaurants, shopping, Caribou Coffee, you name it, this place probably has it. It also had this store:

This was probably the first store I noticed while walking in, and it made me really happy. Unfortunately, they don’t sell tight fitting pants for men, but instead sell winter coats that cost way too much money. Still, the fact that a store called Moose Knuckles was thriving in our nations largest shopping mall brought a smile to my face. After spending too many hours at a mall waiting for a bunch of women to shop at every store they saw (basically my definition of purgatory) we loaded up the car and headed back the hotel.

Do you think a few folks here missed American style shopping? I’d like to point out that none of those bags are mine, but it definitely made me chuckle. My baggage space was reserved primarily on food that is difficult to procure in Mauritania, and my wife sent me on a mission to fill a giant L.L. Bean duffle bag with 70lbs of meat. Lets just say, Mission Accomplished.

There really wasn’t much time for a whole lot of other excitement since this was still a work trip, but I did take some time to head to a place for my final meal back in America that I figured might represent our ridiculous food culture, and also make me not miss American food for a few more months.

In my experience, nothing really will assault you GI system harder than a trip to White Castle. Taco Bell after a night of drinking might do it, but when working with a blank canvas, White Castle knows how to fill you up and immediately make you feel regret (although in this case….I regret nothing).

Overall, my first trip to the Mother Land since moving to Mauritania was exhausting fun, but by the end of the trip I was really happy to be heading back to Nouakchott and seeing my family. I’d even go as far as saying I simply missed Nouakchott and that this trip has reinforced that Nouakchott is my home. I missed my home and am glad to be back. –Nick