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After 3 days in NYC, 3 weeks in Canada in 3 different cities, coming back to Brazil felt like a necessity. Returning to "our home". Our things. It is amazing that after such a special time away, we felt so excited to return to our own beds, to our own lives. But that is what holidays do to you, they make you happy, and then they make you happy to be back - if they are long enough.
Our flight was smooth, the kids overused the ipads, ipods, mini-DVD players and slightly less the other non-electronic devices. The on-flight food was tasty as usual for everybody; barely-touched trays were returned to the steward. Noam was surprised to recognized all of Panama airport - it is not that big after all. And both kids eventually collapsed of exhaustion less than two hours before landing (out of a trip that lasted more than 22 hours door to door). I call this type of timing a perfect example of Murphy's law.
Upon landing, the Brazilian custom agent took time to analyze our documents, and requested the help of two more officers before letting us go - which brought my two exhausted boys to tears. And of course collecting our suitcases was not the fastest. Just as we reaching the taxi line, my elation to exit the terminal was dampened by my youngest's call, forcing us to change the course of our exiting travel  (me pushing our five suitcases, four handbags, and hauling waddling two kids at 2 AM) in search of a bathroom. But other than that, our travel was smooth. As smooth as it goes for a trip this long with two small hobbits.