On the go: Buenos Aires - San Francisco

July 17, 2012 @ 1:30pm on the way to BA's Ezeiza international airport. Our flight is actually at 9:30pm but the dog's check-in is a lot earlier at 3pm. This is a beautiful cargo van, the biggest and best, Cedric has arranged for the family to carry all our luggage and doggie crates. The driver offers us some raspberry menthol candy and apologizes because he normally only carries cargo and not passengers...

 

At the airport, the van drops me off first with all the luggage. Then the dogs and Cedric get taken into another section of the airport - the special cargo area. As I step off, I thank the driver and plant a deep kiss on each of my doggies soft heads. I send a prayer out into the universe for their well being and safe passage. I leave Cedric a piece of bologna I've been holding onto as a final treat.

After the dogs, are taken care of, Cedric rejoins me and it's then the long 8 hr wait. We find a quiet place upstairs with wifi. Then the refueling of liquids. Salud to the flight home. An amazing road trip, 1 year and 2 weeks ago - we set set off July 2, 2011 with only a couple days planned. No expectations. Open hearts. We can't believe we've arrived at this moment. SF, here we come!

On the news: trash collection resuming in BA! Right as we're leaving. Cedric and I are chuckling because trash was a constant topic of ours every time we walked the dogs twice a day in our Palermo neighborhood. I mean constant! Bags full of garage strewn alongside the street like a broken necklace. As every weekend approached, the city got messier and messier. Granted, it has improved, we remembered an even dirtier version of BA - 3 yrs ago. (Not to say that we encountered the same experience in other parts in Argentina. No, just BA.) Luckily, we started to look beyond the trash to make the most of our 2 1/2 week stay in the mega city.

6pm, as the sun starts to set, it's time for the humans to check-in...

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Next day, 6:30am. Houston Airport (George Bush Intercontinental Airport) - 7hr layover (incl. 2 hour delay). I was little hesitant about returning by way of Don't Mess With Texas. But by the time, we're in the immigration line, I start getting teary eyed when the "Welcome to the US" is announced in different languages, spanish, chinese, english, german. I take a step back and look at everyone around me, we're from all walks of life, different parts of the planet, different colors, converging in one undulating wave length. It's good to be home. Welcome home!

A couple minutes before we board, a petsafe van whips by and deposits 2 crates next to the plane. Both doggies have been crated now for 17+ hours. Have you ever tried to hold it in that long? Cedric and I are in panic mode at the sight of a blue crate! Both dogs were in grey crates (in the first pic). We put the zoom feature on the camera to the test...

Fur_white. Eyes_brown. Match complete. Señora Biela Brehaut.

Fur_chestnut.Snout_brown. Match affirmative. Señor Manly Brehaut. (We're hoping Manly will one day spill the beans and finally tell us the story).

Home, sweet home!! At least for now temporarily. We have this cool cottage rental until Aug 1. This is the same, yes, peppy pink cottage we made our nest after we sold our home on Roosevelt, over a year ago before we set off on the road trip. Full circle. So, in the picture, I'm kinda stuck on the doorstep. No keys to the cottage! (The lock box doesn't work; I need to go to the leasing office). No money. No ride. No way to reach Cedric who is out buying supplies for the dogs and humans. Our friend Lee (who lived with us in Costa Rica for a month), has just and I mean, just entered his house from a work trip in Nebraska, when he gets a frantic text from me. "It's ok" I tell Lee on the phone. "I'll wait for Cedric. It's no big deal, really.""Mai, will you just tell me how I can help??" Lee says. Remember, when I was  working on my receiving and asking for help issues (I wrote about it in God as a Maid and How to Ask)? Well, I think I'm making progress. Lee and his lady friend arrive to the rescue keys in hand - almost 10 - 15 minutes after Cedric arrives (finding me still on the doorstep). By 7pm, we're toasting champagne glasses with a gorgeous view of San Francisco. The perfect homecoming all around.  So, glad I reached out. Muchismas gracias, Lee and Kerri :x

9pm. Cedric is in the kitchen, making final preparations for bedtime. He's calling me. "Baby ready for bed? Baby?" ZZzzzzzzzzzz....snore, snarf....zzzzzzzzzzzz. See you in the morning.