29 January 2018
It's an Irish pub where we are to meet. My immediate family is all there, and I am touched that even my brother decided to make the trip with the rest of them. I watch as my dad instantly pulls out his phone to take a couple pictures of me in my full on back pack. Jan and her sister are the only ones that move to embrace me. Everyone's already ordered, and their food looks really inviting on the table. Having eaten only a cheese sandwich, my belly grumbles. The hostess let me put my packs into the other dining area so that it doesn't get in the way of the servers and I sit and chat with my family. I patiently wait for the Fish and Chips that I have ordered and my Stepmom passes my brother the rest of her Shepard's Pie, she offers me a bite which I take, before he wolfs the rest of it down. My Dad clicks off pictures and my stepmom's sister is all smiles and nice ities. I look her in the eyes, because I understand the need to keep up appearances and ask her really how she is doing. She thanks me and assures me that she is okay.
I do my best to spend the dinner boasting about my travels. I'm not really a boasting sort, I think, but I am kinda getting Hangry at this point. Luckily fried food doesn't take long to prepare.
After dinner is over, we head back to the hotel, I present my family with knick-knacks that I brought back from Mexico. To my brother, a multi-colored skull magnet. My Stepmom gets a small lamb figurine that a Papelaria was selling down the street from Amy's house in San Miguel, and to my dad, I give him a sun hat, that turns out to match his jacket quite well.
I try to go through the pictures of the past half-year, but Dad and Jan are already to turn in for the night, and Jeff is just not interested.
While my family sleeps, I spend a good portion of the night packing and repacking my stuff. Thankfully my Dad has brought with him some of the things I want to switch out for my pack, and I am able to lighten my load considerably, though I still think I will be quite burdened with water and food. At least I'm not going to always be traveling uphill as in Mexico, and maybe I'll be getting rides. I have no idea, hooray for adventure!
30 January 2018
The next day, I run out with my bro to pick up some pants from the thrift store, take a nice shower with probably the best water pressure that I've experienced in a long while, then we're off to eat lunch. I propose some good ole' fashioned american Chinese food, but Jeff and Jan bicker back and forth about parking and where to go and that they prefer a sit down and other really silly things like that. It's amazing how much I'm willing to acquiesce. I just close my eyes and generally swallow my disappointment. I really don't know how I got to be related to such people.
The American Chain restaurant next to the hotel advertises for Valentine's day, reminding the consumer that it's not just for couples, you can have a 'Gal-entine' or 'Pal-entine' too! I overhear a server gripe about how much he dislikes mayo, "I've thrown away whole sandwiches with mayo." I really hate the States. I am glad to be leaving them behind, but I also know that I will face more challenges then I ever have before. I just hope I survive.
After a thankfully short stop at the mall, to make sure my cell phone is working correctly, we head off to the airport. Jeff helps me get my stuff out, and dad takes another picture. Again, no hugs are exchanged. But, I click off a couple final pictures myself of my family, and turn around to enter the airport.
