IT’s been a long week of travel and we’re not finished yet.
Mon-Thurs USA: Grandpa's
I had a great time at Grandpa’s and am so glad I didn’t miss the opportunity to spend that time with Grandpa. I arrived Monday night in Peoria airport. It’d been a very long time since I’d been through that airport and it appears they rebuilt it completely…. So technically, I’d never actually been through that particular airport. We ate that night at Monical’s! Yay! What a great way to start things off– Family Pleaser ;)
Then Tuesday Aunt Sharon came and brought some wonderful books for Audrey (I’d been looking everywhere for Franklin books for cheap and she brought us three)! We had some really nice visiting time with her, but she had to leave and left only minutes before Uncle Tom arrived! Isn’t my family great? Then Uncle Tom, Uncle Jack, Aunt Shirley, Grandpa, Audrey and I all went to the best restaurant in the world– Fairview Farms! There’s nothing like it on the planet!
Wednesday Grandpa took us (Aunt Shirley, Uncle Jack, Audrey and I) to the zoo! Audrey’s first time at the zoo, and she thought it was amazing! She ran all over the place, fed the Emu and the Zebu (pop quiz: Who knows what a zebu is?). Grandpa got her a stuffed monkey which she hasn’t let go of pretty much ever since.
Each day I was there, I had the privilege of walking with Grandpa to check the doors and then, later, sitting down to a delicious hot fudge sundae like only Grandpa Drake makes. So, needless to say, it was a sad goodbye. But I’m determined to make it to this year’s Thanksgiving.
Wed. night I didn’t sleep almost at all because I had a headache and stomach ache– one of the biggest headaches ever, so that I was almost throwing up. Grandpa, Audrey and I left his house around 4:30am to catch my 6:00 flight back to Kansas City.
On a semi-independent note, I left my ErgoBaby Carrier in KC this time…. BIG mistake! Never going to do that for as long as she fits in one! My arms were hopelessly sore and my back STILL hasn’t recovered. Not to jump ahead, but I saw several ErgoBaby carrying parents on the international flight and in the airport. We shared the relief and bond of having this miracle carrier, and one guy who was traveling alone said to me in line “Aren’t the Ergos such a great thing to have?” That certainly wasn’t what I’d imagined would come out of his mouth, but as it turns out he’s got a two-year-old and it’s THAT good!
Fri-Sat: International Travel
I’m definitely going to miss my church family…. Already do miss them, actually. I was surrounded my last day in Kansas City by love and care. There was a lot to be done, but everything I could humanly do, I got done. Friday, after a day of errands, I caught my (delayed) flight around 5:30. The flight from Kansas City to Atlanta was fairly uneventful with the exception of having been delayed. I still had my stomach issues, but we figured it was nerves, and the only way to get over it was to get through the journey. The delay, however, put me in Atlanta only 30 minutes before my international flight.
I just have to mention that however helpful people may be on planes, I’ve found both Delta and United/Continental pretty much useless once we get inside the airports. I ran from terminal A to terminal E with Audrey and all our things, and almost missed yet another international flight. Of course the attendants on the plane and in Kansas City insisted I would have all the time in the world, but when I reached the gate, huffing and puffing, I was the second to last to board, and they were getting ready to close the gates.
The lady next to me on the flight from Atlanta to Brasilia was extremely helpful. She switched seats with me so that I could sit next to the window, which was so much easier. She also let Audrey spill over a bit more into her space, which made sleeping easier for us both.
Sat-Sun: Brasilia
My flight got into Brasilia around 7am. I sometimes wonder if some hard things happen simply because I think they might. I got there and Cesar’s aunt, who was supposed to pick me up, was not there. I waited for about an hour and then decided that it wasn’t even smart for me to be waiting alone with Audrey and all our luggage in front of the airport. So I took the little money I had left and flagged a taxi. There’s only one jockey club in the city, and that’s where Cesar’s sister lives, so I asked the taxi to take me there (it’s the only place I knew to go, since I have no idea how to get to Cesar’s aunt’s and I didn’t have anyone’s phone number.
I got to her house (knowing she wouldn’t be there, because she was in Tucuma), and nobody was there. Her husband had gone to work somewhere and had taken the two boys (he didn’t know I was even going to be in the city). My niece was working at the salon in place of my sister-in-law. So I went to the neighbor’s house and they went to where Bira (my sister-in-law’s husband) was working, and he sent the key to their house so that I could shower and sleep. The guys all came back around noon-ish, and I got some good chat time there and Audrey played with her cousins (she loves those boys). Then another one of Cesar’s aunts (not the one supposed to pick me up at the airport) came to take me to her house, which was close to the bus station.
I spent the end of Saturday and Sunday at her house. I think Audrey was ready to substitute Cesar’s cousin for Cesar, because she took to him, slept in his arms, played, cuddled, and cried when he left.
It was in Brasilia, soon after arrival, that the rash began. I began to itch on my hands and then it spread to my feet.
Mon-Tues: The Bus
Another of Cesar’s cousins took me to the bus around 7:30am Monday. The bus was supposed to leave around 8, but it arrived already broken (water leaking). The bus ride was about 26 hours. Sometimes I had room to put Audrey next to me, and sometimes there were people who sat next to us. The bus itself smelled like urine, and I thought the luggage area above us would fall onto our heads.The rash I had continued out of control, spreading to my scalp, face, neck, stomach and finally to my legs (the only place it hadn’t yet reached).
Tues-Present: Moving
Cesar was there waiting for me at the bus station, and we all drove the two hours to Tucuma, where we’ve been in the process of moving ever since. That’s right. After all this travel, I still had to pack some other things and we’re moving (supposedly today, though everyone is just sitting and waiting for I don’t know what right now). In the meantime, on top of the rash (which everyone is saying is an allergy, though I don’t know to what and why it doesn’t go away. The bugs started to feast immediately and I already have several mosquito and ant bites on my feet, legs and arms, and on top of all of that, a heat rash has developed behind my legs. So I am a big red ball of itch itch itch. Beyond that, a suitcase can’t come from the United States without everybody in the house wanting to know what’s in it and what I can give to them. I’ve been here just short of 24hours and I’ve already had people ask for something as small as one of my hair ties to my soap, suitcase, etc. Cesar’s grandma wants one of our cows.
I also wasn’t extremely encouraged to see that, while not everyone is moving to Canaa with us, many are. There’s Cesar’s mom, nephew, cousin, brother, brother’s “wife” and son, a guy who is going to help with some work on the house, and two people that just seem to follow wherever Cesar’s mom goes. One of those people is a woman who is married and has a daughter, but who does essentially nothing except follow Cesar’s mom around. I just hope that even though where we’re going is smaller, that we can still have our own space.
Well, that’s the last of my complaining for now. I’m going to make an effort this week to keep an open mind and adjust. Who knows, maybe I could find some friends in this new town who can make this time easier.