Also known as the day my mother-in-law and I kissed...on the mouth...by accident. So in the friendly country of Costa Rica people don't shake hands- they kiss on the cheek...the RIGHT cheek to be more specific. So we're at the airport, Jose (my husband), Jose (my chihuahua), and Raven (my teacup Pomeranian). We're all nervous and excited (except Jose the dog because he was drugged). After making our way through Immigration and gathering all 4 of our HUMONGO suitcases, we make our way to Customs...where they waive us through and don't even check my dog carriers. I mean thank God I really was carrying dogs and not trantulas like the smuggler I saw when I was coming back from Panama after a visa run...but that's another blog. So we gather up the 4 suitcases, backpack, laptop case, and 2 dog carriers and head for the exit. While Jose is fighting off the overly-aggressive taxistas all wanting to take us somewhere (I’m sure for the Gringa price), I look up and see Jose the man’s dad. I recognized him from pictures I’d seen and video chats on the computer...Then I see his miniatue mom and miniautre sister...WOW! He was right, they are tiny and I was a giant (and I’m only five ft. six in., imagine my mom at five, ten). So he really is the tallest in his family. Anyway, we all rush up to eah other to hug - well I thought we were going to hug..but it turned out to be the cheek-kiss-greeting. So as I go up to his mom (my mother-in-law), I don’t turn my head to give my cheek, but keep looking straight ahead...and we kissed...on the lips. Talk about that everlasting first impression..that was a winner!! Then I look around and notice that everyone was crying so no one had noticed. They were all happy and crying because Jose, their oldest son, was back after 3 years of being in the United States. I was crying because I missed my mom.
