So here I am, back in the safe comfort of my bedroom. Retreating from the world after being thrust back into American life which occurred, oddly enough, the minute I landed in Recife. My friend Kendall and I ended up on all of the same flights back to America, which made the trip slightly more comforting. However, the first dose of Americans outside my program group, was a hilarious one.
In fact, there was this dude who had an American flag polyester shirt, complete with a HUGE ass eagle printed across the left half, khaki cutoff shorts, white crew socks, and beige-tan crocs. He even had a thick blonde 70's era pornstache and looked clueless about life. I'm thinking to myself, "What the hell are you doing in Brazil?" His wife looked like she wanted to ask him the same question. This dude also decided to ride back to Miami with a plastic bag on his head, containing the pillow and airplane blanket that the rest of us were given. At this point, I was definitely shaking my head. The others were a part of some sort Jiu-Jitsu group, but they were so loud that Kendall and I could barely hear ourselves talk. And I love how they just ordered everything in English and got flustered when the airport attendants at the restaurant didn't really understand the things that they were saying. Okay then...*thinks about the time that this guy ordered açaí in English in Lençois, after first asking ME (while I was sitting down and eating) if I worked there, as in, didn't even try to speak Portuguese at all whatsoever* So Kendall and I chatted in Portinglish and then got back on the plane when it was time to load up. We arrived in Miami to hectic people and customs. I felt proud when I was asked "Business or Pleasure" and I said "Neither, try education?" And the customs dude laughed and said, "Good answer." Yeah homie, education is NOT business nor is it a pleasure, yo'. So then I walked thru, waited for Kendall, and then we went through some more checkpoints. I didn't need to declare my Guarana or other food products but at that moment I regretted not buying more cachaça. I realized though that I would have to be separated from K because I had an overnight stay in Miami. She and I hugged and I got all teary eyed, but then we realized that we'd both be in California (at least 45 minutes away) so we said our goodbyes and vowed to hang out upon our return.
I walked outside to the warmth of Miami, wrapped in the Brazilian flag I had made into a blanket, and waited for a shuttle. I was staying at the Hilton Garden Inn, but I didn't know that this specific Hilton had a different shuttle. So I ended up at the Hilton and had to take a taxi over to the other, smaller Hilton. I got there and was flustered and feeling a bit tired, but the people at the desk were HILARIOUS. Esteban, Rosa and I forget the other woman's name, but they had me cracking up! We just laughed and talked about my studies and where I was coming from and how they loved my hair and then I ordered SO MUCH FOOD (mozzarella moons, peach cobbler, buffalo wings), ate a lot, called a few people, and then slept in the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. I pondered doing laundry but I realized that I didn't have enough time. I had to wake up at 4am to continue my journey "home". I did wake up on time, only to leave my Mac adapter in the room (which left me pissed off) but I made it to the airport on time. Thank goodness I still had my international ticket "excuse" because I didn't have to pay for the extra weight my luggage weighed (although that still caught up with me later on my second leg of the trip). I sat next to a nice lady from Chile who offered me bits of conversation in Spanish, to accustom my ears, she said. I would soon arrive in Dallas, Texas. Texas frustrates me. It just does. So I tried to stay put for as long as possible, entertaining myself on Netflix (I was so happy to finally get it) and watching my bags. I walked around a little bit, searching for something to eat and I may have had some snacks, but I really just needed to get home. Finally, I was able to board the plane to Los Angeles. I was feeling a little sick, but I was still happy to be finishing this trip, for the most part.
I got on the plane and went directly to sleep. I sat next to a soldier and felt so awkward with my "Brazilian flag blanket" but then decided that I didn't really care. I'm a pacifist. I don't support war. So I curled up and went to sleep. Then I woke up and decided to chat this dude up. Turns out that he's just a guy from East L.A. who needed a way out of the 'hood, so we talked and laughed and joked about our anxieties and fears of re-adjusting to the states. It was first time being back in the U.S. since May. We ended up having lots in common and joked all the way until we landed in L.A. And suddenly, I had this LUMP in my throat.
I was here.
And so was she.
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