Insert Fully, Swipe Quickly

We made it. After close to 20 hours traveling we arrived, ya llegamos. It began at 2:45 cell phone singing, bagel, water, van with some clothes and luggage in between. Mom drove us to Dallas, where the airport was at its busiest. I have never seen so many people awake at 4:00 a.m. So we waited, avoided bumping into the explicative and children with no say over their direction (Insert Kimb's story here). Our entrance in the terminal received little fanfare though Emily (our travel companion from Conway) won a free dance in the scanner. She flawlessly executed the arms-over-head-hands-clasped-feet-shoulder-width-a-part-stand-and-smile-while-millions-of-waves-are-sent-blasting-through-your-body move. She made it out fine. We found the Dunkin' Donuts with the most thorough doughnut bagger this side of the Atlantic; Emily settled for a smoothie and Kimb found a Starbucks. We boarded our plane. We waited. Apparently we were waiting for some late bags, I am starting to get some late bags and it only seven o'clock. It is during this wait that I come to familiarize myself with our surroundings, exits, bathrooms, distance from refreshment cart, vomit bag inspection (crucial if you want to limit the amount of your own vomit by avoiding a surprise left from the previous flight) and finally the small television screens in the back of the seats in front of us. It is here that I notice the succinct direction at the side of each screen: Insert Fully, Swipe Quickly. Needless to say I did neither, though it was awfully tempting.

Welcome to Houston. Bathrooms, more coffee and plan to Mexico. If you have an aversion to raisins don't fly Continental in the mornings. The complimentary breakfast consisted of 4 oz. of milk (it was actually only 2% so 2% of 4 oz. is an incredibly small amount of actual milk), Total cereal, a bag of raisins and a raisin muffin. I'm all for themes but never if it's the California Raisins. I settled for one muffin, two cartons of milk and 31 flakes of Total total.

Bienvenidos a Mexico. We made it through customs found our bags waiting and warranted no extra scans or searches. We got stamped, bought bus tickets and went to change money. In the 8.5 minutes it took us to change money the bus we had tickets for arrived, unloaded its people and their luggage, allowed others to board and stow their luggage pull a complete u-ey and make an exit. We missed our bus. No worries happens all the time to white American travelers so they put us on the next bus for no extra charge an hour later. Lunch. Tacos. Need I say more.

We got on our bus, dozed and arrived in Puebla two and half hours later. Got our luggage and searched for a bus to Oaxaca. Found one. Departs at 5 it is 3. Second lunch. Torta. Need I say. We waited, watched an older couple in front of us make out for a while, read a little, walked a little, spent 4 pesos to ride the bathroom ride and finally boarded our bus to Oaxaca.

Bienvenidos a Oaxaca. Books, eyelids, Bride Wars and a music video (both in Spanish of course). The artist was later found to be Thalia (a very talented hispanic vocalist). After 4 and a half hours we arrived through the rain and the clouds descending from the mountains we step foot the wet asphalt grabbed our bags and guessed our way to Soledad y Marisol's house where Emily will be staying; it's been a year and I can still walk right to it. Coco y Letisha, Aaron y Emi were also there waiting on us, so we said our hellos and answered our how-was-the-trips, finished with goodnights and got in the van. Kimb and I made it to Tule, feasted on quesadillas, showered and said goodnight to the world, all by 11:30.

Kimberly is already in bed so you must wait for the (insert Kimb's story here bit). Stay tuned; it's worth it.