I hit the road or the air again on Thanksgiving Day. I was up early and on my way from Cleveland. The airports seemed emptier than usual. It left a eerie and lonely feeling for a holiday. I shared the day with many other forlorn travelers away from family and friends. I found few comforts at my layover in Baltimore as the day was gloomy and the airport somber. But in Houston during my four and a half hour layover, I found familiarity in some Thanksgiving Day football. The games were one sided and a little less than entertaining, but it brought comfort. I also enjoyed a little diner called Ruby’s at Houston. It was full of booths with a single person in each. I thought in my head about pushing them all together and having our own feast, but it ended as a thought. I made sympathizing small talk with the workers as I ate my burger.
I did get to enjoy my Thanksgiving Day turkey. Unfortunately it came in the form of a small airline turkey sandwich barely filling and hardly tasty. But I enjoyed the concept.
I arrived in San Pedro Sula at 10 pm. While patiently waiting in line at customs I began to speak wit an American couple. They were backpacking the country and had just made their way from Seattle. Our conversation was cut short my the rapid flow of the custom lines. And I didn’t mind. I waited at the airport, longing for familiar faces, for about an hour. Then David, Ashley, Carlos and Eduardo walked through the door. It was a soothing sight. We began our four-hour journey to Tegucigalpa. David is such a trooper. He drove the entire trip, straight through our lingering exhaustion. Around 3 am we came to a rolling stop at the gates of the orphanage. It was a beautiful sight even through my half closed heavy eyelids. I had no trouble falling a sleep after my near 24-hour day. I made it!
