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The Encounter

Traveling is such a bore. I hadn't realized I would hate the process, until I started it. People normally say its about the journey not the destination. Not for me, I'd much rather just be there already.

I scheduled my ticket for a week after the 15th of October, the 21st. Ill be staying for 7 days, hopefully thats enough time to get my life together. 

I told my job I'm going on Vacation for a week, my supervisor didn't seem to care too much. She only stopped a second, with a grimace on her face and her glass balanced on the edge of her nose, to look at me from head to toe back up to my eyes and say "Morocco?" I replied with a yes and then began my explanation, she waved me off and said it was a great Idea, I should go to another country and look for inspiration. 

"When you get back it better be there, I'm going for a certain look this collection and I really need your insight, your one of the best designers I have and I need you at your best." After finishing her statement she was back to typing on her computer. I could only nod, I went back to go my desk to pack my sketch books for the trip. 

Inspiration... Right.

Determined, I went home to pack my things for the next day, I choose to fly early in the morning to get settled in properly. I asked Mr. Oyama if he could watch Nebula for the week, He loves Nebula, always says she's welcome over his house whenever I'm not home. His Cat Pumpkin is an orange tabby cat, I think Nebula takes a liking to them both. She will have a good old time over there, but I hope he doesn't fatten her up with cookies and treats..

Once I arrived at the airport I payed the Cab driver, grabbed my luggage and walked inside. The line to get my ticket and check in my bag was very long, it took 25 minutes to get to the front. The woman at the front looked sleepy and sick of the people that just left, I decided not to give her any grief and complied to all her demands. My luggage was just a pound under the max limit, so I didn't have to pay too much for it. I was handed my ticket and left. 

While I was walking to my gate, I could feel all eyes on me. I tend to stick out in public spaces and not for my rugged good looks and designer streetwear. But because I am a 6'6 Dark skinned African American man with thick blonde locs, two sleeves of tattoos and ears full of piercings. 

It has always been hard for me to create my own persona growing up, when people already had an Idea of who you are. You generally fit into that stereotype without even knowing, without creating an Identity, without really knowing who you are outside of others. 

You fit the shape of all the people before you not even realizing it, once the damage is done all you can do is defend yourself, against the monsters, the prejudice, the rude looks, the comments, the stereotypes, the whispers to their children, the concerned looks, and the clutching of purses. 

I do one better, I tune it out. I walk thru the airport as if it were a runway, as if all the people were looking at my stylish outfit and not my tattered skin. As if my AirPods created background music I just to go with the beat of each step I take. 

I get to the gate, scan my ticket and enter the tram that takes me to my destination. Once I get out I find security waiting for me, something I'm not accustom to is being searched. I groan and comply, its about 6am and all I want to do is sit and wait to board my plane. 

Electronics, shoes, belt, bags, phone, keys, and wallet but I'm not taking off my jewelry the metal detector is just gonna have to go off. 

Once I'm thru I am able to find my gate and sit down next to a near by phone charging station, I pull out my laptop and headphones and zone into the the earlier seasons of One Piece, picking up where I last left off. Zoro is my Favorite character, he handles each situation the way he deems fit and kicks ass, gotta love the man. 

On the Plane I listened to my mediation playlist and took a nap, refusing any crackers or beverages. During the duration of my flight I was left alone, I choose to sit by the window to avoid random strangers stepping over me on their way to the restroom. I've flown out to LA and visited my family in Florida but never out of the country. I wasn't really expecting such a long flight, I woke up and fell back asleep countless times over the course of 9 hours. 

The lights flickered on indicating that the flight was over. I grabbed my bags from the cubbies overhead and followed the signs to pick up my other luggage. I waited in line for my bag and found my unmistakeable One piece luggage tag, Zoro. 

 As I was walking thru the airport, I suddenly noticed something, I didn't feel eyes on me. No one was even paying attention to me.  Maybe its because it was really busy, maybe it's because there are lots of black people here, maybe its because Im in Africa. A country I don't have to defend myself against a corrupt system, somewhere I don't have to watch my back for the law, Somewhere Peaceful. 

Thanks Grandpa. I'm already loving it here.

I took a taxi to the beach house I rented for the week, it was quiet, away from all the hustle and bustle of the main city. I picked somewhere secluded so that I wouldn't be bother while doing my work. I set my things down in the bedroom and walked thru the whole house, first the living room to the kitchen then outside to look at the view. 

As I'm sitting on the patio facing the Atlantic Ocean I closed my eyes listening to the waves and the birds, feeling the sun's rays beat down on me. Somewhere Peaceful, thats where I am. 

Once I'm back inside I unpack my work materials into the office space across from the bedroom, setting up my mannequin and laying out my swatches, I play with some draping and pin some conceptual images on the cork board thats adjacent to the office desk. I sit back, thinking of different designs and ways to execute my ideas. But nothing comes to me, I walk around the house, I play some music... Nothing.

Granted, It's only been an hour..

I then come to the realization that I haven't eaten anything... all day, my stomach did its job to growl and remind me. Good thing its only 5pm so Im close to dinner time anyways... I should have eaten those crackers..

I look up the nearest grocery store to see if I can cook myself some dinner, its about 25 miles out. I look for the closest town, its 6 miles away. I find a restaurant with 5 star reviews and amazing food, I judge this by carefully inspecting the pictures on yelp and google. 

I should look around the city anyways, I'm on vacation. Although its for work and my emotional state, I should do this trip justice and get out the house. I called the restaurant in advance to book a reservation, just enough seats to squeeze me in, Perfect. 

I walk into the bedroom, finally opening my bag  of clothes and carefully putting together an outfit on the bed. I stuck with something simple. 

For the top I'm wearing a Beige Off-White Paint Print Short Sleeve Shirt, the bottoms I go with a Balenciaga Logo-Print Relaxed Trousers in a Beige and White print. Paired with a white sock and Asuna Slide 'Fossil' from Nike. It's a relaxed fit, I normally wear something like this when walking around a new city to stay low-key.

I call the taxi service in advance to pick me up from my house. I hop in the shower to freshen up then get dressed and grab my things to head out. 

The Taxi was on time and the driver was polite, he dropped me off at the front of the restaurant. I jump out and walk up to the entrance. Once I placed my hand on the door the knob, the door began to open.

Out walks a woman, she is dark and slender, her hair was thick and wavy down to her waist. Her hands were small and dainty clutching the door knob, her eyes were as wide as the moon and surrounded by such long lashes. She had large wide hips and full lips colored a blush red, She had the most horrendous look on her face but she just ended up looking like an angry goddess casting her rage down from the heavens. She was a bit shorter than me, but just like me, she towered the people around her. She was storming out the door, yelling at someone on the phone not paying attention to me at all. 

It was a good thing she wasn't paying attention to me because after opening the door for her, I was there staring at her with an idiot grin on my face..

I should have came to Africa a while ago.