I’m out of the dry heat of Southern California and into the humidity of Guadalajara.
One of the worst fears I had with all the schedule changes was another one at the last minute. I was scared too when the counter agent could find me and my dad in the computer.
After a few minutes, she was able to locate us. The one thing I did notice with all the schedule changes was they bumped us up to business class on the flight out. When she took our checked luggage, she also gave us passes to the business class lounge telling us there would be no meal on the flight so eat there.
Business class is an experience everyone should have at least once. The lounge comfortable and clean with all the food and drinks you want.
Part of the reason why our flights were moved was the airline was doing its best to fill up their flights. Our flight was under half full with just three total people in business. I could only imagine how full they were before.
We stretched out in our wider seats and I played the movie ‘Blazing Saddles’ with the audio in Spanish so my dad could enjoy the genius of Mel Brooks. During the flight I was noticing something outside, flashes of lighting. I told my dad and he said it’s the summer storms in the mountains and get used to it. It was a beautiful sight and frightening at the same time. The closer we got, but not directly through it, the more we saw. My father told me, if you look at the other side you’ll notice it is clear.
We arrived at the airport and were greeted by my cousins who were happy to see us. As we walked to the car, there was a huge flash followed by the loudest roar of thunder less I’d ever heard a second later. They turned to me and said: “Bienvenido a Guadalajara.”
After a tour of my cousin Rigo’s house, he took me to my Tia Irene’s house. It had been a long day and I just wanted to sleep. It was a little difficult since it was a bit humid but my exhaustion was overpowering.
I woke up to the sound of church bells. I got up and there was family already at the house. It was the start of me meeting a whole lot of family in a short amount of time. Watching them interact with each other and my father made me feel like home. They like to make fun of each other reminded me of my siblings.
My father gets the open arms treatment from the family with everyone coming over wanting to know how he’s been. It’s pretty cool to see that.
While my father and I were left alone for a few minutes as my aunt and others walked to pick up some menudo for breakfast. During that time he reminded me that this was the house my mother died in. He relived what happened and told me a lot in a short amount of time.
After a while, my father and I left with my cousin Daphne for a quick tour of the city’s cathedral and surrounding area. I remembered from the night before I was no longer in the United States because everyone didn’t buckle up in the car. The taxi we took had no seat belts in the back of the car.
We walked around the cathedral and went to the business district nearby as my father needed to change dollars into pesos. After a trip down to the shopping district, we headed back home.
I took a nap since I only had a total of 10 hours of sleep the past two nights. When I woke up, the house was full. I met a lot of people and tried to keep up with them the best I could over the next few hours.
After dinner, I walked to the nearby convenience store with Daphne for some ice cream. Not long after we got back there was a roving bakery that stopped off and everyone from the neighborhood came out for some baked goods. Roving sales are common. Earlier in the day my Tia bought a kilo of tortillas from a salesman who rode up on his bike.
Rigo will return in the morning and take me and my dad around Guadalajara during the early part of the day then we are heading to Sahuayo and spending the night there. On Sunday, we are heading to my hometowns of my parents before an impromptu family reunion before returning to Guadalajara.
I don’t think I’ll have an Internet connection until I get back Sunday night.
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