Summer Vacation Part 1...Trip back to the States
Yes, yes...this trip was over two months ago, but I have been quite busy and have not gotten around to writing about my summer travels. And since I like to keep order in my life I need to start back with my trip home before I continue with anything else. :) It's just like how my pictures in my photo album have to be in order from the beginning to the end of the trip! Otherwise it drives me crazy!
Ok so my 11 day trip back home was busy, busy, busy...It began with a moment of panic when I was not able to find my parents in the Newark airport at 11pm and thinking I may just be stuck there overnight since I did not have a working cell phone...but no worries we found each other in baggage claim :)
It was so nice getting to spend Christmas with my family and relax for a little. I finally felt in the Christmas spirit being around family, seeing the snow and a beautiful Christmas tree. After Christmas, everything now seems like a big blur...It was just nice to be home and in the comfort of the US again. I got to see my brother's new house he bought, I went to visit my old school to see my former students and coworkers, got a much needed mani/pedi with a good friend, went out to dinner with some friends, had a night out in Philly with my brother and cousin, went to dinner with my mom and aunts, and spent New Year's Eve in New York with another friend.
I think the first time I realized I was back in the US was when I went out to dinner with my brother (Mexican Restaurant of course - didn't know how much I loved Mexican until I couldn't find any decent restaurants here in Porto Alegre!) I just laughed when I took the menu from the waitress because suddenly ordering food was no longer work and did not require a lot of thinking. :) I could read the entire menu and knew how to order in complete sentences. haha I felt so competent again not having to try to read and speak in Portuguese.
I also did some shopping since things really are expensive down here. I stocked up on some basic essentials, but after returning to Porto Alegre I realized I should have bought more! Good quality clothing for cheap does not really exist here! Oh well, I'll know better for next year :) However, I did return to POA with 16 bottles of my contact solution! I felt like they were going to stop us at customs for thinking we were trying to sell it in Brazil! haha! Contact solution is expensive and they do not have the kind that I like or apparently what my eyes like since I had some kind of allergy to the other stuff.
Anyway, enough rambling on and on...I have many more blogs to write. I loved my trip back home to the US. It was great to see my family and friends...to get to spend time catching up with them. I'm already looking forward to doing it again next Christmas. :) I feel blessed to have such great people in my life and that I have been able to maintain many of my friendships while living thousands of miles away from them :)
Ok so my 11 day trip back home was busy, busy, busy...It began with a moment of panic when I was not able to find my parents in the Newark airport at 11pm and thinking I may just be stuck there overnight since I did not have a working cell phone...but no worries we found each other in baggage claim :)
It was so nice getting to spend Christmas with my family and relax for a little. I finally felt in the Christmas spirit being around family, seeing the snow and a beautiful Christmas tree. After Christmas, everything now seems like a big blur...It was just nice to be home and in the comfort of the US again. I got to see my brother's new house he bought, I went to visit my old school to see my former students and coworkers, got a much needed mani/pedi with a good friend, went out to dinner with some friends, had a night out in Philly with my brother and cousin, went to dinner with my mom and aunts, and spent New Year's Eve in New York with another friend.
I think the first time I realized I was back in the US was when I went out to dinner with my brother (Mexican Restaurant of course - didn't know how much I loved Mexican until I couldn't find any decent restaurants here in Porto Alegre!) I just laughed when I took the menu from the waitress because suddenly ordering food was no longer work and did not require a lot of thinking. :) I could read the entire menu and knew how to order in complete sentences. haha I felt so competent again not having to try to read and speak in Portuguese.
I also did some shopping since things really are expensive down here. I stocked up on some basic essentials, but after returning to Porto Alegre I realized I should have bought more! Good quality clothing for cheap does not really exist here! Oh well, I'll know better for next year :) However, I did return to POA with 16 bottles of my contact solution! I felt like they were going to stop us at customs for thinking we were trying to sell it in Brazil! haha! Contact solution is expensive and they do not have the kind that I like or apparently what my eyes like since I had some kind of allergy to the other stuff.
Anyway, enough rambling on and on...I have many more blogs to write. I loved my trip back home to the US. It was great to see my family and friends...to get to spend time catching up with them. I'm already looking forward to doing it again next Christmas. :) I feel blessed to have such great people in my life and that I have been able to maintain many of my friendships while living thousands of miles away from them :)
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