Six airports, five planes, 38 hours

Two days after we the people elected Mr. Obama, we, Johann and I, were off. We were worried we'd miss out in all of the post-election discussion, but everywhere we went it was there to greet us.

Because we used miles (which we spent so much time stragically earning for this trip, but which we will never use ever again for a transatlantic flight,) we visited six airports on three continents over a sleepless 38 hours. After departing St. Louis, our first stop was Tampa. But why visit only one Floridian airport? We went to Miami too! At least there we could get some super authentic Cuban food...

From Miami it was off to Madrid.

We'd be getting there at 7:30 in the morning and have a ten hour layover, so we called up Colby and Rebekah to ask suggestions on where to go while there. (During our year in Sevilla, we never visited Madrid outside of the airport.) It was weird to be back in a place we'd just moved from knowing we weren't back to stay. There were all the "welcome back" feelings - the comfort and ease of sitting at a crowded counter during the morning rush, getting a cafe con leche and pan con tomate and reading the paper, the way Spanish feels on your mouth - the steady, continous roll of vowels and soft consonants... It was actually a little strange to feel those feelings, to feel at home, in Europe. I guess you don't know how comfortable you are in a place until you leave and then return to it.

Roasted chestnuts on the corner:

Again, Obama was everywhere:

But comfort can be disquieting, so we're off to yet another new place.