Thursday, May 29, 2008

Back Home Again in Indiana


We made it back to Indiana. That was a long trip. We left around noon for the airport; flew to Detroit; flew to Indianapolis and drove to Alexandria. Sounds easy but twelve hours can take their toll.

We spent the week meeting friends, looking for a dress, preparing the apartment and digging through the house for usable appliances and dishes. After two trips to that old, tired house, I know she loves me!

Ana has been checking online and in stores for months for a wedding dress. She has a pretty good idea of what style she wants and is armed with pictures and numbers of a few dresses. A couple of her favorites are at David's Bridal so we made a trip there on Friday to check them out. She found one there that made her smile. It was on sale too so it really made her smile. She decided to look around a little more first though. We weren't able to go dress shopping the next few days. On Tuesday, the day before her flight we took some time to check the local shops. There aren't many left. We found listings for three but the second went out of business the day we got there. We arrived in time to see a woman walking out with the last dress. That was alright though. The first shop we went to is out in the country outside Daleville, Indiana. It took a while but we found it. There was a lot more to choose from than I expected. After a while there, Ana found what she was looking for. Again, it was on sale. $50!! She saved almost $900. I suggested that she should buy it even if she wasn't sure. She could always sell it in Mexico for $100. Ana called her sister to tell her about the dress. When she mentioned the price, Esther said "Buy it! You can always sell it here for $100."

We had a dinner at church on Sunday for Memorial Day. Ana made Tinga. Something made with shredded chicken, chile-tomato sauce, Mexican sour cream and placed on a tostada. I would have taken a picture but it went too fast. We are going to have to start making two batches for these dinners; mild and fire!

We had several opportunities to make personal adjustments this week. I’ve learned that I like to do things in specific ways; most things, very specifically. And that Ana doesn’t always do things in the same way. After politely listening to my explanations of how things work here, we had a talk. Things are much better now and I don’t think my eye will bruise.

Ana really was wonderful this week. She spent a lot of time and effort working on the apartment and cleaning old dishes. This place finally felt like a home. But without her here it’s pretty empty again.

We left eeearly Wednesday morning for the airport for Ana's return flight. Unfortunately (fortunately) they decided to cancel the flight. Ana had to cancel a few dental appointments but we got a free day together. I thought about all the times I've heard someone say "I wish we could have had one more day together" and decided to try to make the most of it. We were able to finish a few more things on our list and had a wonderful time together. This morning we returned to the airport again and this time she was able to make her 6:45 flight (what was I thinking!). She will pick up our marriage certificates tomorrow and, if necessary, get apostilles for them and send them up to me. We should be able to get this process going any day now!

The Sunday morning of the family dinner at the Arroyo, I called to make reservations. Ana has been telling me for weeks now that because I am hers and we are marrying in Mexico, I’ll be Brian Campos. That was just supposed to be a online joke between her and I but her family seems to be catching on to the idea. Therefore, I used Brian Campos when I made the reservation. Everybody came in separately and no one seemed to have any trouble finding the reservation or the table.

History
At Thanksgiving we were still trying to decide when, where and how to marry and immigrate. One of the requirements to marry in the US is that the couple must have met at least once in the two years preceding the wedding. Our main purpose in spending time together was to spend time together but a secondary purpose was to have witnesses and documentation of our time together. The Thanksgiving dinner and other times spent with friends is an important part of that. I also tried to schedule time with my friends so they could start to warm up to Ana and she could see me in a more natural habitat. I know it was a dangerous idea but I think she deserves it.

We finished out the week with church on Sunday and a couple of stops to see clients. They all loved her and still ask about her and how things are going, hence the blog. I think they like me better after bringing Ana by. We left together for Mexico after that and spent a few days sightseeing, planning, talking and playing dentist. I was the patient! I’ve got to learn to pay more attention to what’s going on when she says, “sit here, drink this and relax.”
I returned to Indiana alone and started to prepare for the Christmas trip. Wait ‘til you hear about peanut butter and celery in Mexico..

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