SO the whole "off to Ireland" of my last entry was more of a ploy to throw my parents off to the fact that I was actually flying home. I actually DID go to Dublin, but as a layover (a 12 hour layover, mind you) before heading out to San Francisco.
It is 7AM in California. 4PM in Spain. I've been awake for the last two hours in my beautiful bed, in my own room that has that certain smells-like-home scent, gazing up at those stick-on glow-in-the-dark stars I put up over 10 years ago with my best friend in high school. It is SOOOOOOO good to be home.
I had a 9:40AM flight into Dublin, and arrived 13 hours before from Madrid (I didn't realize until the morning that Ireland was 1 hour ahead of Spain, therefore I kind of lost an hour in the whole waitng-at-the-airport game). I slept at the airport, and was thrilled that I was not the only one. It was a whole bunch of us nomadic peoples finding chairs and claiming territories. The funny thing is that I spent the night at that exact airport five years agao exactly this month the first time I was overseas studying in England.
Mercifully the time came for me to fly. We flew west, essentially meaning I chased the sun. I had about 20 hours of daylight. When the captain announced we were approaching San Francisco International airport, I got super excited, I didn't know what to do with myself in my little airplane chair. Then he said the passangers on the left hand side would be able to see the Golden Gate and I couldn't stop smiling looking down at the seemingly teeny-tiny bridge below, and all the city shining in the beautiful California sun. It apparently had been raining for the last few days. I guess the sun knew I was coming home.
I arrived in SFO around 12:30PM, and was picked up by one of my best friends, Rome. We headed straight for the famous Roxie's sandwich shop in Friso (on San Jose Street, haha) before heading back to my brother, Ryan's, place. From there, we headed to my parent's place (and what is now my place again) who did not know I was coming home.
Rome and Ryan went in first and made up som excuse as to why they were there. I called the house as if overseas to say hi, and mom picked up. She kept trying to shove the phone to Rome or Ryan, "It's Lara!" but I rang the doorbell, and when mom came to the door, she screamed in excitement. I hate to have regrets, but I really really regret not having the video camera going at that moment. It was precious.
I made myself stay awake until after 10PM, and crashed eventually around 11:30. A few weeks ago I had a dream I woke up in my bed at home, without having visited the south of Spain yet, angry and confused that I was hom that soon. But here, the sun is actually out before 7AM (there, it likes to sleep into to at least 8AM), which tells me I really am home. And I have never been this happy to be home, which makes it so right that I am.
I still have pictures to put up from my trip for any of you devoted readers. Stay tuned for final pictures and final thoughts in a last (for now) entry.
