Friday, January 8th, 2010: Goodbyes

We spent the previous night packing, so we awoke and were ready physically to go to the airport. Mentally, it was harder to leave. It had been a wonderful vacation and though I was looking forward to going home, seeing the cat, and teaching again, I did regret leaving the beach, people and food that I had come to love.

Before Eduardo came to pick us up, Ernani and I headed to the beach across the street to say goodbye to the ocean. We walked the beach and wondered when we would put our feet back in the ocean again. 

 It was noted that I was quiet as we drove to the airport. I was taking as much in as I could. I did not want to forget this trip and I wanted to come back as soon as we could. We joke about going back for the World Cup in 4 years or to visit Mariano who got a Fullbright to teach in Brasilia next year. He is bringing his whole family and it would be neat to visit the interior. But, Maceio was where I really wanted to spend most of my time. We had met the best people here.

When we got the airport, we stood in a check-out line a while. The man who checked us in was named Magalhaes and Eduardo said he probably was related somewhere in the family line when we joked about how we must be related. It reminded me of our toast the night before at the restaurant. We toasted to the Magalhaes family and Paulo who might join it someday. I did not take my husband’s name, but I still see myself as Magalhaes too. It is nice to feel a part of a large and happy family. I felt lucky to have two such wonderful names and families.

After we were checked in we made our way up to the second floor and said our goodbyes to Flavio and Eduardo. The flight from Maceio to Rio stopped in Salvador. We had great seats and watched the coastline all the way to Salvador. There was never a break in it and it looked pristine. We could tell that roads did not go to a majority of the coastline and fantasized about trying to get to some of those beaches. They must be lovely.

We lost those good seats from Salvador to Rio and did not see the great statue, the Cristo, but Rio itself is beautiful. The mountains were calling to me. They are jagged and unreal. When we got off the plane to face our 7 hour layover, I made sure we walked outside. I wanted to breathe this Rio air and promise it I would return to explore those hills.

                                                                                                                        

While in line to check in, we meet a family sending their daughter to L.A. to see if she would like to study for a year there. She was on the same flight as us and even sat in the row ahead of us. She had not flown to the States before. Her parents were friendly and her Aunt pretended to be impressed with the little Portuguese I knew. We enjoyed talking to them.

Security was normal after we checked in but they had additional security on the ramp before we entered the airplane. They searched our carry-on again and waved a wand around us. Then, they let us go into the plane. The plane ride was long again. Upon landing in D.C. at dawn their time, I saw white on the ground and for a moment I thought it was sand and wondered what it was doing in D.C. I quickly realized it was snow.

The flight to Chicago was difficult. We were so close to WV when we were in D.C., but we had to pick up our car in Chicago, so we had to fly there. Getting off the plane and being greeted by Sonia and her girls and Harry was perfect. It was great to see them and it felt like we were truly home. We parted though as they were there to pick up Rebecca and we were headed back to Sally’s house to get our car and drive to W.V.  The drive was terrible, but we made it. Our cat, Cleopatra, greeted us when we  came home. We covered our tans and went back to life, marked by Brasil.