Departure Day!

I've made it past the first hurdle! Packing up and getting to the airport went just fine, after a slight detour down I77. Baggage check and security were unbelievably painless. My single allowed suitcase weighed 49.5 lbs, thank heavens! I'm so glad all of my packing rearrangements paid off! I just checked in at the podium, a required step before boarding. They asked for my passport, ticket, and also paperwork for my return trip out of San Jose'. This drew me up short, because firstly, I have no return trip from San Jose', and secondly I have no printed record of my flight out of San Jose to Managua. I'm sure there's one in my email somewhere, and had they pushed me I would have pulled it up on my laptop (or on the handy-dandy iPod I'm using now), but the supervisor said I was okay, so it turned out not to be a problem. I think I'll print all of my flight documents and keep them on hand from now on. The terminal is starting to fill up now. There are touristy types like me, residents returning home, and busy-looking business people. A lot of them speak Spanish. As I've been typing, I've been eavesdropping for practice :) I think it might be better practice to strike up a conversation once I finish! The Charlotte terminal is gorgeous. I wish I could upload a picture from this device. There is probably a way. I'll fiddle with it and see. Buen viaje!