The airline gods must have been smiling down on us. We had a mere two hours between the JetBlue flight from Bogota to Orlando and our United connection to Houston, scarcely enough time for immigration, collect our luggage, clear customs, get to the terminal to check in, clear security and scurry back to the gate - even if everything went smoothly. When JetBlue announced a one-hour delay in Bogota to fix a flat tire, we started working on Plan B.
But somehow we made it! Re-entering the US after a long trip abroad has always been a bittersweet experience; the joy of homecoming tempered by the almost hostile immigration procedure. The young immigration officer, fresh out of the academy, was so flummoxed when we responded we had been gone for nearly two years that he forgot to be rude and officious. As he stamped our passports with a flourish, I mentioned this was the first time they had ever been stamped in the US. "I'm brand new and I don't want to make any mistakes," he replied. Speaking of passports, mine is nearly full - both the original book and the 24 supplemental pages. Connie has added a second 24 pages but hers expires in December so renewing both or our passports is a big priority while we are home.
So with the help of the travel gods we were in Houston when Greg and Laura came to collect us. They were shipmates on the original cruise from Galveston to Barcelona when the trip began two years ago. Both have retired from Boeing and had worked on the NASA shuttle program which explains how they ended up in Houston. They have invited us to spend a few days with them as we reacclaimate ourselves to the US of A.
