November 17 2025 - Crossing Borders and Slow Roads: My Journey from Bo to Freetown

📍 Location

Bo → Freetown, Sierra Leone

📝 Episode Notes

On November 17th, I woke up in Bo reflecting on the conversations from the night before—especially with Francis, a dedicated pharmacy student at the Central University of Sierra Leone. His commitment to becoming a medical professional, one of only 97 in his class, really stuck with me.

The morning brought another unexpected meeting: a driver for the ECOWAS ambassador. Sierra Leone currently holds the ECOWAS chair, so hearing what his job is like—and how often I’ve had to explain why my Dutch-registered vehicle doesn’t need ECOWAS fees—gave me more insight into how regional systems work on the ground.

After some warm interactions and friendly police stops, I started the long journey back toward Freetown. I exchanged the last of  ...