Home, sweet home.

So much for trying to be consistent with the blog, eh?... :)

Last year ended in one of the best ways possible, Austin and I got to go spend two weeks back in Rio with my family. No trip compares to going back home after being away for a few years. Also, it was Austin's first time in Brazil, which made it all that much more fun.

Our little trip started late night on December 15th. It was a snowy evening. I had left the packing for the last hour. Like always. After I finally got all the bags zipped up and weighed I sat on the couch just waiting for the phone call from the airport shuttle saying they were there to pick us up. We were supposed to be picked up at 9pm, but 9:15pm came around...then 9:30pm...then 9:45pm...then 10pm and then around 10:15pm the driver finally found our home, well kind of. He had an old GPS that wasn't working right. So after talking to him on the phone for a bit, Austin had to drive to find him because he was lost out there and then he had to follow Austin back to our place. It was weird, but funny. He said he'll get a new phone so he can have google maps, we said "Great idea!" and in the end all was well :) 

Our plane left the Miami Airport at the night of the 16th. After a nine hour flight with some sleep, movies, and airplane food we had made it to our final destination, Rio de Janeiro. It was a cloudy Saturday morning. I have landed in that airport many times and I always love it when the plane does the last turn before it heads down to the landing strip. Out of the window you can see a little bit of the Guanabara Bay and part of the city. The feeling is always the same, "At last, I'm home." 

Anyhow, our two weeks there were filled with "touristing" around town (rather necessary if you've never been to Rio before); some swimming and tanning (because there was no way we were going back to the Utah Winter as white as we had left it); lots of delicious food (...trust me I could spend hours talking about Brazilian food); lots of driving along beautiful beaches, lakes, and bright green mountains (and in a honest side note, many sketchy and old places too, haha) and of course, the best part, lots of warm afternoons and evenings spent with long missed friends and family talking loud, laughing and reminiscing (and some more delicious food, yet again, of course).

Our last day there was a Monday, the 2nd of January. We woke up, had some breakfast, put our swimsuits on and headed out to the beach for one last time. The ocean was a bit scary that day, but we were feeling brave, every now and then a big wave would start forming and my heart would beat fast as I watched it but then we would dive and feel the water moving above us. The day went by fast, soon we were shower taken, suitcases packed (with all our Christmas' gifts in it), just siting in the living room (with the sun setting outside) enjoying our last few minutes with my parents, my grandma, my brother, and his friend (and some Brazilian news channel playing in the background).

Then it was time. We made it to the airport, got checked in, said our goodbyes, and gave our last hugs. Suddenly two weeks felt like one day and off we went.

                               

 

   

 

 

Good night, and good luck.