Jimmy’s Version of Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Me Knows Better Than to Say This… but I will. My blog update was delayed this past week due to unforeseen delays in Brasil. (Yes – that is the correct spelling in Portuguese.) First of all… great country, friendly people and a wonderful time, but getting out was another story. I just have to remember that “Life is a journey, not a destination.”

Travel started with a boat ride on the Amazon followed by a few days in São Paulo. Then due to scheduling and flight constraints, I had to coordinate travel through another city just to get back to the United States. This included a three hour layover with plenty of time to check bags for the final leg of my journey. However, a thunderstorm delayed my departure out of São Paulo and upon sprinting to the other terminal (something Jimmy does not do anymore), it turns out that I missed the boarding window and the last plane out by a half hour… even though the plane still had another thirty minutes before closing the door. No ticket, no boarding… no flight home… no place to stay. Delay number one. That was the bad news.

While still trying to catch my breath, another passenger in the same predicament tracked down a hotel with a few available rooms. Apparently he was able to speak while I just settled for the basics of trying to stay alive. Even though the situation looked bleak, I had to remember my new motto and see the opportunity… this is a part of the journey in life to enjoy. Now the good part… did I mention I was stuck in Rio de Janerio and Carnival was starting? Not sure if I mentioned that vital piece of information or not.

So while most of the US was basking in freezing temperatures, Washington had three feet of snow and Atlanta frozen to the ground, I decided to show off my gringo white skin on the beaches of Rio. I won’t scare you with any photos, but let’s just say that besides the lack of a tan, I noticed that the only other difference between me and the rest of the population was the profuse presence of six pack abs compared to my more valued approach of a midsection keg. Another saying in life is “Why settle for a six pack when you can have the whole damn keg.”

So after a stroll in the surf and the beginnings of the inevitable pink tinge of pre tan burn (which was 10 minutes later), it was time to make the pilgrimage to Corcovado where Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city. See the photo at top.

The panorama was amazing and the statue the same. The final few steps to the top brought back a reminder of my airport sprint… time to consider the value of a lighter keg.

Next stop home. Of course, now the only way home was a rebook to Brasilia (the capital) to catch the last international flight home with another three hour layover prior to the midnight flight. Note - every bit of the three hours was needed to go through the new security searches thanks to the tightey-whitey underwear bomber. Now the only problem was Atlanta could not handle anymore airplanes due to the snow. Luckily they provided that essential bit of information only after everyone had boarded and we were all settled into our seats. Only the airline provided the information in Portuguese and Jimmy couldn’t figure out why everyone was pulling luggage out and mumbling. Time to follow the crowd and exit. One hour later and one mob scene (again only in Portuguese) to get taxi and hotel vouchers, Jimmy was standing in another one hour line to check into the hotel with the sweet bliss of sleep and an opportunity to soothe the sunburn.

Lesson learned… enjoy the journey. You never get enough chances to show off your tan… or your physique. A vida é uma viagem, não um destino.  “Life is a journey, not a destination.”