Sudan

Sudan was the first country I visited after finishing my MBA. The day I completed my final exam, I returned to my apartment, threw some clothes into a duffel bag, and headed straight to the airport to begin my journey across Africa. After a memorable layover in Doha, which was hosting the FIFA World Cup, I boarded a flight to Khartoum. Midway through, the pilot announced that Morocco had defeated Portugal to become the first African nation ever to reach a World Cup semifinal, and the entire plane erupted in celebration.

Because I had skipped my graduation ceremony to begin the trip early, I packed my graduation gown and took photos wearing it among the ancient ruins of Naqa in Sudan’s Nubian Desert. I also visited the remarkable pyramids of Meroë, where there were almost no other visitors despite the site’s extraordinary history. My guide, Abdel Salam, explained that many of Sudan’s archaeological treasures are now scattered throughout museums around the world, but because of the country’s political instability, many are unlikely to return anytime soon.

I really enjoyed exploring the country, but what stayed with me most was the warmth of the Sudanese people. That made it all the more heartbreaking when, just a few months after my visit, civil war broke out. The capital, Khartoum, where I had stayed and made so many great memories, was devastated. Many of the people I met lost their homes, and some even lost their lives. The world can be mightily unfair.