Out of Africa

A family we know from our summers in Maine has made it safely out of Libya. Having taught in international schools before, their plan of settling down on the east coast, putting the kids in the U.S. public school system, and finding work stateside quickly led them to boredom and brokedom thanks to the economy tanking, so they signed up to teach abroad again. A school in Libya needed them. I remember Sarah saying around the town pool last summer a week or so before they left for northern Africa, that they wouldn't go to Cairo back then, but instead decided to accept jobs at the American school in Libya. I thought that sounded a little nutty, even for international adventurers, but there were, perhaps, by the end of last summer whisperings of things maybe getting a little shaken up sometime in the future in Egypt. Maybe the quiet word among folks watching the politics of North Africa was that nothing would happen in Libya. I mean really, it'd been 41 and a half years of same ol' same ol' with Muammar Crazy Kadafi. Who would've thought they'd actually jump on the protest bandwagon?

So last August this family of four moved to Tripoli and last week they had to leave their jobs, home, Libyan friends, and belongings. Here is NPR's Scott Simon's interview with the headmaster of their school about their evacuation. As of Friday they were safe in Malta trying to book a flight back to the states. I wonder if evacuating Libya will make good school essay material for their kids.