The Long and Winding Road Home - Part IV - Minneapolis
Whoever planned my return must have thought that I was some sort of superhuman who could exist as a vagabond for months on end... no home, no stability, living out of suitcases and with a constant stream of new people, new places, and new challenges. Ahh, yes, it was ME that made the arrangements, and I was clearly not thinking straight when I booked my many-legged journey back to SF.
After the most uncomfortable seven-hour flight of my entire life (that is saying a lot, trust me), I arrived at Chicago's O'Hare bleary eyed and ready for some relaxation. Unfortunately, due to the very long delay in London - where they made everyone who was already on the flight from India exit the plane and go through security again - we all missed our connecting flights and would have to spend the night at a hotel in Chicago. Fortunately, they paid for it, but it would have been so much nicer to finally be at my sister's house in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
The next morning, I caught the shuttle to O'Hare again, and I was suddenly struck by the fact that I was back in the good ol' U.S of A. Everyone at the hotel, on the shuttle, and at the airport was hyper-efficient. They jogged to and fro with jugs of Starbucks coffee in hand, chattering away a thousand words a minute while multitasking on their palm devices, laptops and cell phones. WHOA!!! Slow down.
In Spain, I once made the mistake of ordering a latte at Starbucks and actually taking it to go. People on the streets looked at me like I had just descended from a spaceship and had green antennae on my head. Why would anyone want to walk while they were enjoying their coffee and pastry? In the Spanish paradigm, all pleasurable food and beverage intake should be enjoyed with your butt firmly planted in a comfortable seat with friends - preferably on an outdoor terrace on a nice day. The American agenda just doesn't allow time for that, apparently, and I was suddenly a stranger among my own people.
Shortly thereafter, I had my second realization - we are at war. The airport was full of soldiers in their fatigues who had been home on holiday leave, and were headed back to the Middle East to continue their tour of duty. They looked like children to me, and more than any time since we started this crazy invasion, the gravity and the sadness of it really hit home.
Soldiers in Chicago
I finally caught my flight and was greeted at the airport by my amazing sister Michelle and her son Andrew. The next five days in Minneapolis/St. Paul would be just the gentle landing I needed to start my reintegration into American life, surrounded by family and their friends.
The Arrival
Minneapolis, while definitely urban, felt quiet compared to the frenetic pace of Madrid, and everyone seemed so pale and blond. I suddenly blended into the crowd, instead of standing out as such an obvious outsider as I had become accustomed.
Downtown Minneapolis
A couple of days into my stay in Minnesota, my mother arrived from my home state of Nebraska to take me back the the Great Plains for a couple weeks more of quality family time.
Whoever planned my return must have thought that I was some sort of superhuman who could exist as a vagabond for months on end... no home, no stability, living out of suitcases and with a constant stream of new people, new places, and new challenges. Ahh, yes, it was ME that made the arrangements, and I was clearly not thinking straight when I booked my many-legged journey back to SF.
After the most uncomfortable seven-hour flight of my entire life (that is saying a lot, trust me), I arrived at Chicago's O'Hare bleary eyed and ready for some relaxation. Unfortunately, due to the very long delay in London - where they made everyone who was already on the flight from India exit the plane and go through security again - we all missed our connecting flights and would have to spend the night at a hotel in Chicago. Fortunately, they paid for it, but it would have been so much nicer to finally be at my sister's house in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
The next morning, I caught the shuttle to O'Hare again, and I was suddenly struck by the fact that I was back in the good ol' U.S of A. Everyone at the hotel, on the shuttle, and at the airport was hyper-efficient. They jogged to and fro with jugs of Starbucks coffee in hand, chattering away a thousand words a minute while multitasking on their palm devices, laptops and cell phones. WHOA!!! Slow down.
In Spain, I once made the mistake of ordering a latte at Starbucks and actually taking it to go. People on the streets looked at me like I had just descended from a spaceship and had green antennae on my head. Why would anyone want to walk while they were enjoying their coffee and pastry? In the Spanish paradigm, all pleasurable food and beverage intake should be enjoyed with your butt firmly planted in a comfortable seat with friends - preferably on an outdoor terrace on a nice day. The American agenda just doesn't allow time for that, apparently, and I was suddenly a stranger among my own people.
Shortly thereafter, I had my second realization - we are at war. The airport was full of soldiers in their fatigues who had been home on holiday leave, and were headed back to the Middle East to continue their tour of duty. They looked like children to me, and more than any time since we started this crazy invasion, the gravity and the sadness of it really hit home.
I finally caught my flight and was greeted at the airport by my amazing sister Michelle and her son Andrew. The next five days in Minneapolis/St. Paul would be just the gentle landing I needed to start my reintegration into American life, surrounded by family and their friends.
Minneapolis, while definitely urban, felt quiet compared to the frenetic pace of Madrid, and everyone seemed so pale and blond. I suddenly blended into the crowd, instead of standing out as such an obvious outsider as I had become accustomed.
A couple of days into my stay in Minnesota, my mother arrived from my home state of Nebraska to take me back the the Great Plains for a couple weeks more of quality family time.
posted by Chromest*r at 2:05 AM
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