By Hezron Ochiel
The journalist’s journey to Ethiopia
I will never forget September 5, 2014. I was in a foreign country, and that morning I almost missed my flight. It was one of those days that started completely wrong.
My alarm never rang.
I had set it to wake me up for my 7 a.m. flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi. But when I finally opened my eyes, I was already an hour late. Panic hit me instantly. My first thought was to blame the shiny new phone I’d just bought before the trip, sitting there on the bedside table as if nothing had happened.
In my childhood, a journey we called a safari was never casual. You wore special attire, the kind reserved for weddings or Christmas. Going abroad felt no different. The new phone was my “special attire,” an indication that this was no ordinary trip. But with newness came unfamiliarity, and in that unfamiliarity, I had mismanaged the alarm.
I had traveled to Ethiopia on a journalism scholarship, part of a group of 15 international journalists selected to cover the 2014 Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Forum. A friend had shared the application with me; I applied half-curious, half-hopeful. When the acceptance letter arrived, I brimmed with excitement.
Conference experiences in Addis Ababa
For me, Ethiopia was not simply another assignment. It felt like stepping into history. This was one of the few African nations that had successfully resisted colonization.
In school, when we learned about Emperor Menelik II and his victory over the Italians at the Battle of Adwa in 1896, it almost sounded like a scene from a movie.
The idea that a poor African country could push back an invading empire was both inspiring and unforgettable.
When I heard the news that I would be traveling there, I couldn’t help but feel excited. I wanted to walk the streets, meet the people, and experience the country’s rich culture for myself.
And when I finally arrived there, the feeling was surreal. The streets of Addis Ababa, the monuments, and the rhythm of daily life all reminded me that I was walking through a place that had carried its history with pride.
The conference days were full and rewarding. I shook hands with scientists, debated with fellow journalists, and filled page after page with notes that I knew would later become stories.
Not everything was easy, though. The food was a challenge. The national staple, injera, had a sourness I could never quite adjust to.
Communication was another hurdle. The new SIM card I had bought stubbornly refused to activate, leaving me unable to connect with my family back home.
Still, I learned to adapt, and in the process, I discovered the value of patience and perseverance in unfamiliar places.
The morning panic at the airport
When the conference ended, I should have left Addis Ababa with a calm sense of satisfaction. Instead, I found myself caught in confusion and rush.
Late and frantic, I stuffed my belongings into my suitcase, bolted to the hotel van, and prayed the road would part for me. A fellow passenger, a South African traveler, glanced at me with pity and muttered, “Our friend from Nairobi is in deep trouble.” His words stung because they were true.
In the van, scenarios flashed across my mind. What if I missed the flight? Should I spend the conference per diem on a long bus ride back to Nairobi? Should I stay stranded in Ethiopia, scrambling for another ticket? The uncertainty gnawed at me.
When we finally reached the airport, I ran. My shoes slapped against the floor as I sped toward the gate, heart pounding, lungs burning. Then came the voice over the loudspeaker: This is the final boarding call for passenger Hezron.
At that moment, my story could have gone either way. The doors could have closed. My name could have been called in vain.
But luck, or perhaps persistence, was on my side. I made it through security and stumbled onto the plane, breathless but victorious.
Back home: Publishing struggles and PR lessons
The adventure did not end at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.
Back in Nairobi, I faced another challenge. The story I had written from the conference, the one I had poured energy into, was met with a cold reception from my editor.
But I had learned something in life: when one door refuses to open, you find another. I pitched my article elsewhere, and it was published. My scholarship deliverable was secured, and my words found their way into print, if not in the place I first intended.
That rejection planted a vital seed.
The newsroom may reject your work, but in PR and communication, you learn to find new platforms and innovative ways to tell your story. It was an early lesson in adaptability that later shaped my career.
Career and travel lessons for journalists
That morning in Addis taught me far more than the importance of setting an alarm.
1. Adaptability: Sometimes the alarm does not go off, the food tastes unfamiliar, or an editor gives you the cold shoulder. You learn to adjust, improvise, and keep going.
2. Persistence: Missing a flight or getting rejected is not the end. It simply means you need to find an alternative approach.
3. Resourcefulness: Whether it is a new phone that lets you down, a missed connection, or a story an editor refuses to run, none of these are dead ends. They serve as reminders to look for new tools, platforms, and opportunities.
4. Planning ahead: A shiny new gadget is no help if you do not know how to use it. Preparation matters as much as ambition.
5. Making use of opportunities: My editor’s rejection could have stopped me. Instead, it pushed me to find another outlet. Every story has an audience. The trick is finding its rightful place.
6. Humility and patience: Running through the airport taught me that no matter who we are, systems move at their own pace. Staying calm under pressure is just as important as moving fast.
7. Networking and openness: The conference provided me with valuable contacts and fresh ideas that remain relevant today. Opportunities are rarely in one place. If one door shuts, another usually opens.
8. Cultural awareness: The food, history, and streets of Addis Ababa initially felt unfamiliar and even uncomfortable. But those very moments sharpen perspective and build growth.
Looking back, what I carried from Ethiopia was bigger than the excitement of seeing history and meeting new people. The whole trip left me with lessons that still guide me today. I realized that setbacks don’t mean you stop. They test how flexible, persistent, and courageous you are.
Every closed door, every missed alarm, every rejection is like a question. Do you stand outside waiting, or do you find another way in?
The writer is a Strategic Communications Expert, a best-selling author, and the Founder of Hezron Insights.