WW Tour 2009, Days 1 and 2

For those of you who think blog posts should contain pictures, I'm sorry to disappoint you but there won't be any pictures in this post. I'm too lazy to snap pics of interesting things and not pretty enough to qualify for a headshot.

I don't know what it is about months beginning in 'A,' but they haven't been good to me over the past year. In August 2008, I embarked on a 17 day trip for work which took me to São Paulo and Singapore. I spent 31 out of 36 hours on a plane, the other 5 in airports in Atlanta and Shanghai. By the time I got back to work, I needed to get my badge reactivated (not really) and someone had to show my to my desk (really, not really).

This 'A' month I embarked on my first legitimate trip around the world. Yesterday I got on a plane in Salt Lake City and flew to LAX. I loved flying over the same stretch of highway that I had spent 12 hours driving the day before. The best part of that trip was actually looking out the window at the mass of roads and houses that is SoCal and recognizing exactly where we were. I was able (at least I think) to pick out the freeway exit for Grand Ave. in Glendora and I thought of my family gathered at Jay's bedside. It was a nice thought considering the circumstances.

In LAX I spent an hour of my three hour layover wandering the airport, first taking an underground passageway from my terminal to another terminal in the wrong direction. I then took the tunnel back (in both cases the down escalators were broken) to the original terminal and got directions to go outside and walk to the international terminal. As all of you who travel in this day and age can imagine, I was a bit bummed out to find that I'd have to go through security again, the bottle of water I'd purchased in SLC to be either consumed quickly or disposed of wastefully. For anyone going to LAX and the international terminal, when they say limited concessions ahead, they mean it, don't plan on getting full in LAX's international terminal after you clear security.

The best part of days 1 and 2 was my flight to São Paulo, I flew a Korean Air flight with an entire row to myself. I felt a bit guilty laying down at some point, but not so guilty that I stayed awake worrying about it. I was asleep and remember very little of the efficient army of Korean Air flight attendants. Arriving in Brazil is always a thrill for me, one I hope I get to experience many more times in life. I love letting the familiar sound and rhythm of the language wash over me. There is a smell as well, not a bad one, one of rain, tropical heat, and people. I think if I was drugged and awoke without anything to go by besides my nose, I'd still be able to identify that I was in Brazil. I am grateful that it is a country that brings me such comfort and great memories. I have three days left to spend in Brazil, work, work, and more work probably before I head to my next destination.

For now, I sign off, amazed at how much you can miss your loved ones only a day or two after bidding them farewell. From the Marriott Executive Apartments on Rua Profesor Filadefo Azavedo, good night.

I kept hearing Andrea's voice in my head, "You've got to have a picture with your post," so I caved.