Me with my bags at airport in Venezuela.

The view off my balcony in my new home.

What's it like?

Friday the 24th of July I said a glum good bye to Kenni and Amanda as they dropped me and my bags off at the Westin Hotel by the Atlanta airport. Then I spent my last night stateside for awhile with Tori and Clark. I picked this hotel because they said I could check all 10 of my bags directly onto my delta flight from the hotel lobby. The next AM at 5:30, that was true for 4 of my 10 bags. Yet, thanks to a kind porter, he jumped in the baggage truck, put in all 10 pieces of my luggage, told my kids to grab the hotel shuttle and meet us at Delta, and drove me and my luggage to Delta himself. At the airport, two more nice Delta employees finished checking my other 6 bags AND fudged a bit so I could actually check 11 bags (my 45 pound "carry-on" was the 11th). I found the kids and the good byes were HARD - all three of us cried. That was the easy part of the day, though-I just didn't know it then (thank goodness).

In Miami, I found another porter to get my 11 bags from baggage claim and push them all the way across the airport to the little one counter airline that would take me to my new home. When the porter arrived at the airline desk, the man apparently in charge told him to pile my bags against the counter since I was the first to arrive and the desk was not scheduled to open for another hour. Two hours and 20 minutes later, the desk opened. Two of my new co-workers had arrived right after me and between us we had about 26 bags piled from the counter back about 10 feet-a mountainous stack. Behind that stack was a line of at least 20 passengers wanting to check in. The first thing the airline lady told me was that I had to move my luggage "away" from the counter. Where? Away. I moved it back 5 feet so that she would allow me to move it forward 5 feet to the exact same spot to check in.

The flight to Venezuela ran "on time"....30 minutes after scheduled departure. As we landed, an overhead console (the part that contains the lights, fans, call button...) "popped out" just across the aisle from me and was dangling from a few colorful wires above the passengers' heads. The stewardess who was called to fix it, merely tried to smash it back into the ceiling with a bang and then walked away shaking her head when her attempt failed leaving many shocked passengers in her wake. At the international airport in Venezuela, there was one gate, one baggage conveyor and one customs agent with one scanning machine. We waited for everyone to leave before trying to get our 26 bags through. So, after 16 hours of traveling I was in my new home. 

My first impressions last night...the city looks like any other developing world city I have been to-lawless traffic patterns, street vendors, houses in walled compounds, street front stores with barred windows and doors...some highlights I noticed despite my fatigue were; there are Lebanese fast food restaurants all over (and the food is YUMMY), and my condo patio is the most peaceful place on earth. 

My second impressions today...the city is colorful, the people are warm, the Caribbean is breathtaking, my condo is excessive (3 bedroom, 3 bath, 6th floor, 2 story penthouse with astonishing views and all the amenities such as resort type grounds that include pool, tennis court, beach/barbecue area, and boat slips for yachts), my co-workers are fascinating/cool people, and the local food is very good (note to Tori and Clark-the guavas here are the size of softballs...can't wait for you to come eat some!).

Today I unpacked bags, went grocery shopping at two little stores that were crowded and filled with completely random items (from Campbell's cream of mushroom soup for $4 a can to ignams like we grew in our village in Africa), went for a boat ride to an island where we picnic-ed, snorkeled and swam in water that was like something off a postcard, test drove a Ford Explorer I might buy, and went to dinner with five co-workers at a Chinese restaurant. 

I am very happy with my decision to come here. My kids are sacrificing a lot having me so far away and the depth of my gratitude to them has no limit. I know there will be times of frustration with homesickness, loneliness, language barriers, school pressures....but, I also know that this is the right place for me right now. Let the adventure begin!