The stamps on my passport serve as my ticket to the most extraordinary week of my professional life. When I boarded that Alitalia flight in Rome with three other Kenyan journalists in November 2015, I never imagined how profoundly Pope Francis’s first African pilgrimage would reshape my understanding of faith, leadership, and humanity.

The papal plane hummed with quiet anticipation. Unlike commercial flights with assigned seating, we journalists scrambled for spots while veteran Vatican correspondents like Aura Miguel from Radio Renascença settled into their usual places. “Eighty-five trips with three popes,” she told me, her voice carrying decades of stories. “Each journey writes its own chapter.”

Breakfast was served as we crossed the Mediterranean—Parma ham, fresh cheese, and strong Italian coffee. Then came the moment that still gives me chills. Midway through breakfast over the Mediterranean, Francis emerged from the front cabin. No fanfare, no pretense - just a smiling man in white walking down the aisle. The Pope takes time to individually greet the journalists – some handed to him gifts sent by people, another made him watch a brief video on her iPad. Others gave him possessions to bless (as I did).