Back to Iowa - 6/4/2012

I got up this morning at 4:45 am, but I didn't sleep very well because I was so nervous for the flight, customs, leaving, etc. I got my bags and stuff together then went out to the table to say bye to Argelis. She made me coffee and gave me crackers for breakfast. We sat at the table for a while and talked until the taxi came at 5:30 am. She walked me out and said bye to me. I got a little teary-eyed, but I was ready to go home.

It took about 30 minutes to drive to the airport and it cost about $30. I walked in the airport, paid my $28 tax to leave the country, changed my colones to dollars, then went to the American Airlines desk and checked in. I was allowed to have a 50 pound checked bag. My bag weighed 49.5 pounds. :) Next I went through security. Longest line ever. Security to travel overseas is heavy-duty. Before I got on my plane, everyone had to be scanned with the hand-scanner and then everyone's carry-on bags had to be checked.

After that, I had an hour and a half until my plane was supposed to leave, so I ate some breakfast ($6 for a muffin and orange juice) and walked around the shops.

The flight went well. It took about 3 hours and 45 minutes to get from San Jose, Costa Rica to Dallas, Texas. On the plane, we watched the movie We Bought A Zoo on the TVs. It was a pretty good movie. We also got breakfast. I had some french toast, a croissant, orange juice and some pineapple. It was plane food... enough said.

I saw highways and interstates from the plane window in Texas. That's something that's not really in Costa Rica! My flight landed around 1:30 pm (Iowa time). I had to pick up my checked bag, go through customs again, re-check my bag, and go through security again. I had about an hour until my second flight left, so the first thing I did was get an Aunt Anne's soft pretzel with soft cheese. Yum!!! I also turned on my cell phone right when I landed. It hasn't been on for a month! It feels awesome having a phone again.

My plane home went well, too. It was a really small plane and it only took about 1 hour and 30 minutes to get to Cedar Rapids from Dallas. I looked out the window of the plane and saw corn fields! I never thought I'd be that excited to see fields again. When I got off the plane, there was a big sign of "Welcome to the home of the Iowa Hawkeyes" with the I-O-W-A flags on it. Welcome home!!! :) I went down the escalator and Mom was standing there waiting for me. Dad and Cubby were waiting in the car with a Diet Dr. Pepper. So nice to be home!

Right when I got home, Cody came over and we had dinner. We had cured porkchops, fluffy mashed potatoes, homemade bread, corn, cole slaw, chocolate milk!, and mom's homemade rhubarb crisp and ice cream. I was in heaven... so good. I had to help a little bit with the dishes, too. I got spoiled in Costa Rica because my mama tica did all of the dishes, cleaning, and laundry!! Back to real life, I guess! I showed some pictures and watched TV, then went to bed. I missed my bed! I slept AWESOME in it.