Wonderful piece, Thelma!! I love traveling too. Having been in the military myself and married to a lifer, military man, I've felt that feeling you have of finally seeing or being in a place I've only seen on a globe or map. And also like you, I've done that fried chickened white bread on the Greyhound!😆

As for your Pan-African inclinations, you're right to be wary of some of the places you want to go. There's a writer here on Medium, a Black woman living in Ghana, that writes a lot about different African countries. Her name is TB Obwoge. You might want to look her up and/or start following her because she gives it to you straight, no chaser. She did a great piece on Ghana's newly passed anti-LGBTQ+ law. But like I said, she also writes about other countries too that might be helpful for your travel goals.

I hate what your family friend had to say about trans women, as if they're not people who need the same love, respect and attention we all crave at some time or another in our lives. I'm sure it was hella hurtful. Like I told you before when I first "met" you here, I don't know a lot about your experience, but I'm willing to learn. What I have learned from your writing so far, is you're a smart, funny, caring, insightful and fun-loving person. One of the few I m definitely glad to have met here on Medium. I'm not worried about you not reaching those goals -- you shouldn't be either.