The Time Has Come

I can't believe that I will soon be in another country! I'm excited and scared all at the same time. By miracle of miracle's, my visa and passport are here and I get to fly out with everyone else.

I think I have everything packed. I have a list that I check off, but I will be rechecking the list. I packed a coloring book, crayons, a book I started at winter break and didn't finish, a puzzle book and a cross stitch to do on the plane and during lay overs.

Most every time I get excited about some adventure, I end up feeling like crap. I woke up with a sore throat, stuffy nose and my left ear hurting. I think it's just some sinus pressure and the throat is more dry and is more than likely a result of the motion sickness patch I have behind my right ear. The patch was very hard to come by. There was ONE pharmacy north of the river that had it. Walgreen's had checked all of their stores in the city and no one had any. I was told the pharmacy would hold it for ONE hour and if I was not there, it would go to the next in line! I was there in about 15 minutes.

I tend to have internal turmoil when it comes to flying. I am the one person on the plane who knows where the exits are, has checked my seat to make sure I can feel the flotation device and is following the instructions on the little pamphlet while the flight attendant is reading it. At the same time, I'm excited about going some where. No one can talk to me during lift off or during touch down. I have some anti anxiety medication with me, so hopefully it will make the 4,785 mile flight from DC to Sao Paulo not too bad.

One of the first times I remember flying, I was in high school and my dad and I went to visit his parents in Arizona. We were sitting over the wing and I was by the window. I looked out as we touched down and saw the top part of the engine cover kind of fold over. I bolted straight up, (still seat belted) and had a color drained look of horror on my face. My dad grabbed my arm and said "it's supposed to do that, it helps slow the plane down". I sat back down did not look out the window anymore. Good thing I wasn't flying by myself! With the amount of energy I felt, it would have taken an animal tranquilizer gun to calm me down.

The next time I will be writing, I will have tons of stories and pictures to share. We have Internet connection at the hotel, but I'm not sure how reliable it is.

I have to be at the airport in three hours!!! Woo~Hoo!!!

Sweatin' It

That is what I have been doing since February 8th. The WONDERFUL (NOT) post office in North Kansas City completely messed up my passport. Instead of putting all of the passports to be expididted in one envelope and writing EXPIDITE on it, they put all of the passports in the same enveople as those to be proscessed regularly.

I kept checking and checking and nothing. I called and called and was told to "wait it will sho up"~liars!!! I finally called one of the senators from Missouri's office and then called the state department. Still nothing. I finally called and got a hold of "operator 23" with the passport place and she helped me!! (God bless her! I have called and thanked her and I spoke with her boss to tell how great she is at her job)

I had to resubmit my application again. I'm very thankful that my great aunt Rose has some of our family tree on the internet because it says the state and city where I was born and I was able to send that since I didn't have a copy of my birth certificate. (yes, I learned my lesson. I even have a copy machine and home and didn't think to make one)

My passport was processed in one day and is now on its way, via FedEx to the visa office in Houston. I should have it in my hot little hands just in time (fingers crossed) to ride with my friends to Brazil.

This time next week, I will be out of the US for the first time in my life!!!

Did I mention that we can't do the "OK" sign in Brazil? It's the same as the middle finger here. So the next time someone cuts you off in traffic or really makes you mad, just give them the "OK" sign and let them know you think they're just swell!