Visiting the US of A!

The day after my MCAT exam I took a flight from Puerto Rico to Georgia then Minneapolis. As I’m flying into Atlanta Georgia, my first time in the states in 21 months, I almost cry three times, Who knows if it is because the movies I am watching are about cancer and incredibly touching or perhaps I’ll just hash it up to I just got my period, or haven’t eaten in a while, or all the stress is gone now that I applied to med school and completed the MCAT within the last 36hours. Either way, I’m going to the US I cant believe it some mythical place that no longer seems real!

I step off the plane still speaking in Spanish saying salud and permiso . Thank gawd most of the people around my are Puerto Rican or they would probably look at me like what are you trying to say to me?! I step off the plane and start walking around the large airport terminals of Atlanta… Everyone is speaking in English. There are people of all races and creeds, although frankly the vast, vast majority of people are white and middle-aged. I see a bike just left in the middle of the hallway, unattended, can’t that get stolen. I run to the bathroom my bladder nearly overflowing from the stiff flight. As I wash my hand the water coming out of the faucet is warm! Nearly hot I tell you! And I bet if I wasn’t to I could drink the water right from the tap! I probably wouldn’t even get a parasite or anything!! There are signs around me that talk about the stigma of autism; I passed by a man pushing a dog on a little personal doggy cart with a pink tutu around its butt! there are salad restaurants as I pass by the food court. The trash dispensers are electric. There is paper towel dispenser at every one of the 12 sinks in one bathroom! I can’t believe what I’m seeing. I feel like I’m dreaming! It seems like a science fiction movie! Was all of this really here when I left just 2 years ago? I am going to change into my nearly clean un campo clothes now and maybe try to nap for a little bit because all of a sudden this is extremely overwhelming!! I can’t wait. I nearly cried walking into to fully stocked grocery store of Puerto Rico and having my first delicious full salad in two years! Full of tomatoes, croutons, and lettuce, oh it was so fresh I don’t really want to ever eat anything else!

I was so so excited when I arrived in Minneapolis; it took all my will power not to run off of the plane. When I first got off the plane I met my Grandmother and Markie and Mama at the airport. We then went home where I surprised Frankie! I tried to sneak to the front of the house and he saw me! Caught totally by surprise he cried and we embraced, it was so sweet! Then we all went to his graduation, which was brief and beautiful. This started a wonderful visit full of seeing friends, laughing, bathing in running water, and soooo much food! The trip was also full of some sadness and hard days, but overall was wonderful. Overall I had a wonderful trip and I can’t wait to go back, but still I’m scared about what will come, all I can do is dive right in.