7-13-11
Today was my last morning in Costa Rica. We are heading out on the 2:35 flight back to Charlotte. I am excited and sad at the same time. I don’t want to leave CR, but I do want to seem my friends and get settled back in to my school life. We had a big breakfast at the hotel today, and had tico cheese fried on bread and lots of fruit juice. We packed up the car and were on our way to the rental shop and the airport after a quick picture break and coffee stop along the way. Rosita was in a better mood this morning so it didn’t take long to get to the rental shop to return the car, which was mercifully not a long wait (like it was for Devon, Dad and Mom the first time). A shuttle came to take us to the airport and we were at the front of the line for checking in. We made it through security relatively quickly thanks to Devon’s minor status, although in the process I lost my manicure kit.. I had put it in the wrong bag… No matter what country you’re in airport food is expensive. It’s just like amusement parks, they know that your trapped tired of waiting and you’d give your right arm for a sandwich. Luckily we were not that bad off and we managed to find some good pasta. While we were waiting we hit up the duty free shop. We had a really long boarding time because before we got on the flight we had to go through gate security. Some people were put in the wanding and bag search line and others could walk through. Guess what line I was in with my full size carry on? Yep the suspicious people line, and then after I made it through the second line of defense (getting a pass both times!) as I was about to walk on to the plane another flight attendant stops me to measure my bad. She gets down and measures it and then cheerfully tells me that my bag is 46 inches long and the rule is no bags over 45 inches (I measured the size at check in and they said it was fine). I just wanted to reply cheerfully back, “so I made it through check in and security twice and now you’re telling me to check the bag that that I have used as a carryon several times is one inch too big?” I looked enviously at the other passengers with carry-on suitcases (the same size as mine!) that were walking right past me toward freedom on the plane. But it wasn’t a huge deal and since I was almost home free with my overly large suitcase, without anyone stopping me I got it checked for free!
Our plane left on time and it was a pretty uneventful flight, only a little bit of turbulence and four hours later we were back in the US. We actually landed in Charlotte 30 min early and beat the rush to customs!! For some reason when we travel we always looks suspicious because when we came back through customs here we had to go thought the double check line again… but we still made it out into the warm summer night before by 9:30! My first meal when we got back to the US was going to be Chick-fil-a but they were closed, so it was Wendy’s.
I had an amazing time in Costa Rica. I learned so many new things and my language skills are much improved and I have also grown personally in confidence and awareness. I will remember the people I met and the experiences I have had on this trip for the rest of my life. Thanks to everyone who has supported me throughout this experience and to all of you who have read my blog! It has meant so much to me!
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