A year ago, we were living in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, just south of Egypt. It’s off the beaten track for tourism, but actually has more pyramids than Egypt, albeit much smaller.
When the opportunity came up for us to move there from New Zealand in 2019, it was a chance to show our sons the world. We took them to an Ethiopian restaurant before we left and they didn’t eat a thing! But kids are resilient and ours said, ‘As long as we’re at the same school, we don’t mind where we go.’
As an archaeologist, I’d always wanted to show the boys the pyramids, so we planned a family holiday. At that point, the media had announced that COVID was in Italy, Spain and Iran. Because we were going to be off the grid thousands of kilometres away, we turned off our mobile data to save our phone battery for photos and told friends we’d chat in six days.
When we got back to Khartoum and turned on our phones, we had about 280 messages and countless missed calls. The airport was closed, our colleagues were panicking, our family was worried, and the entire world as we knew it had seemingly changed overnight.
When we opened the door to our house, we found a flood because a pipe had burst upstairs but, of course, finding a plumber during lockdown was a nightmare. After being in 47°C heat, all we wanted was a shower – and a moment to realise the gravity of it all.
Denne historien er fra April 12, 2021-utgaven av New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 12, 2021-utgaven av New Zealand Woman's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sweet SUCCESS
Delicious twists on traditional favourites
Calzone CRAVING
Anything you can put on top of a pizza can go inside these air fryer Italian turnovers
Kai & kindness - ‘OUR RECIPE FOR A GOOD LIFE'
The foodie and her brother have dished up a cookbook full of comfort
Kia Ora Dame! 'I HAD A BIGGER PURPOSE'
It could have taken a toll on her, but Naida's phone greeting started a legacy
Dame Hinewehi's healing haka - 'IT'S GOING TO CHANGE LIVES'
Beating a world record is personal for the music therapy founder
Unbreakable Mamie - 'I'M READY TO FAMOUS!' BE
The TV star and model is excited about what the future holds
Below Deck detective - CAPTAIN LEE'S SEA CHANGE
The superyacht hero's family tragedy has led him to navigate scary waters
Swings & roundabouts - OWEN'S BIG KID PROJECT
Playtime's a whole lot more fun thanks to the radio host
Haunted by tragedy - KATE'S SHOCK LOSS
The star is still dealing with the death of her dad when she was aged four
Top-secret royal plan - BRINGING HARRY HOME
Disillusioned with life in the US, the prince is reaching out to friends in the UK