Christine's Return to the US

On December 8th, 2009, I landed in Miami, Florida. It was a full day of traveling from Chile. I spent two full days roaming around South Beach, eating some wonderful Cuban food, and doing a little shopping. The weather was spectacular and the scenery is entertaining. It's like an adult playround where the rich and famous and the wanna-be's come to show off their toys.

Then I spent the weekend in Chicago. Arrived on Friday and left Monday morning. I went ice skating in Daley Plaza, had some great American meals including, macaroni and cheese, pizza, and turkey & mashed potatoes. Also went to where Oprah Winfrey records her show near downtown Chicago. I would have expected the building to be more grandioso but instead it was simple and plain.

HARPO STUDIOS

I went to a German festival outdoor where I had hot spiced wine (new to try) and walked around looking at all the different booths of tradition German ornaments, food, and trinkets. The famous Christmas tree was also lit up and beautiful, but a tad smaller than I had always imagined. Had lunch in Greektown and then went to the new skydeck on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) which was so scary! It's about a 6'x4' glass box that sticks out of the building so you feel you are walking on air. You can see the 103 stories down. We had 3 or 4 boys jumping up and down on it right before our turn! Very comforting to watch and if it was going to break, it would have broke then.

Looking down.

The last of my "travel excursions" happened Sunday evening, before I was flying to Oklahoma on Monday, which was going to an Oz themed park in Chicago slightly north of downtown. Very fitting for me and this blog.


You see, the headline on the black and white photo of my brother and me at the top of this blog reads, "We're Off to See The Lizard." I'm sure it makes no sense to anyone that is not in our family. However it has a big significance to us and is based on the lyrics of "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz." So, to find myself, after 8.5 months of traveling, in a park themed off the Wizard of Oz, there could not have been a more fitting ending.

MY ARRIVAL TO OKLAHOMA

My arrival to the Tulsa International Airport was a show and something I will NEVER forget. As I am walking towards my parents and start to give my mother a hug I hear this LOUD "whoa, whoa, ay muchachita........" and I look over to see my brother practically running over to me in a HUGE sombrero and Peruvian llama sweater!! It was hilarious and anyone in the waiting area was laughing hysterically at this unfolding. It was an unforgettable moment and pictures were taken to capture it all.

Me, my brother, and Julie.



My family.

As for me......my plans are to spend the holidays in the US. Around the end of January I'm looking to take an intermediate spanish course in central america for approximately 4-5 weeks to build upon what I have already learned but with an emphasis on grammar.

Afterwards, I don't have definitive plans yet. Next year holds a new chapter and I don't even have the title. Exciting the possibilities!

Thank you for reading the blogs I've posted the past 8 months and we'll keep adding entries whenever we find ourselves somewhere new.

Christine