I just arrived in South Africa yesterday (Easter Sunday, although I didn't realize it was a holiday weekend until I was told that the airport had no flights from Uberlândia to Saõ Paulo and there were only limited buses due to the holiday weekend...eek!). My three day journey to get here included a ten hour bus ride to Saõ Paulo, a 14 hour wait in Guarulhos airport, a ten hour flight to Washington, D.C. followed by a 45 minute puddle jump to New York, another 8 hour layover followed by a 17 hour plane ride to Johannesburg. Did I mention that Johannesburg is only 8 hours away from Saõ Paulo? I took the scenic route!
It feels as though I am starting a whole new journey now. I was starting to feel comfortable in Brasil--I was learning Portuguese quickly, making good friends, and starting to get into the Brasilian state of mind--perpetually happy and laaaaiiiiiidback! I was bound to leave eventually...already I was itching to head to Argentina (which, mind you I never did! I couldn't pull myself away from Uberlândia and my adopted family!), but so long as I was in South America, it seemed so familiar and easy. There was only a long bus ride or two and I could be back to any number of places I now consider home. Crossing an ocean was the best push to get me to keep going and get back in the "where to next?" mode.
But I've been feeling a bit more lost lately. Instead of growing outwardly and being spontaneous and outgoing as usual, I've grown inward and felt fairly shy. I have to admit, I would even blush when people would speak to me in Uberlândia. I have no clue why! It wasn't as if I were actually embarassed! I think I just got nervous that they were speaking to me in Portuguese and I was expected to respond in kind. Perhaps it was also a touch of self consciousness about being the only gringa around. I am still confused about my travels so far and have been desperately trying to put everything together and make some beautiful profound prose about the person I am now or the way the world has revealed itself to me. Alas, I am speechless! And worse, I am almost truly speechless--I've nearly lost my command over the English language and continue to think in Spanish-Portuguese.
I am staying at my Aunt Linda's house in Pretoria now for a little regrouping and planning before hitting the road again. She is spoiling me, as usual, and I am going to shamelessly enjoy every second of it, including the endless supply of sweets and wine and the cable access. Hopefully I'll have some more fotos to post from Brasil soon (they are still coming in!), and I'll write as soon as I have some interesting stories from South Africa. Tchau!
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