Managua-Atlanta-Munich-Innsbruck

Exactly a week ago, I finished packaging and went to attend my farewell party; it was short after 6 p.m.

When I got to the meeting point, I saw all children, teens, and the SOS staff (mothers, director, etc.), they all came to wish me a good trip and say goodbye. From that moment on, I experienced the saddest twenty minutes I can remember since Carol left me in 2004.

Two SOS mothers and one aunt took over the microphone and said nice things about me. My heart was nearly broken when Ana followed them on the microphone and beautifully expressed about my presence in the village; I couldn’t help it and burst into tears. It all became even harder when Michael, one of the “tough guys” in the village, sang me a love song and gave me his teddy bear, he is ten years old.

To tell the truth, I never thought that leaving Managua was going to be so hard.

I left the village the following morning at 7, before leaving for the airport, several children came to say goodbye. The flight went well, but in Atlanta I spent 80 minutes queuing at the passport control line and I nearly missed my connection to Munich.

On the airplane, I was lucky and had the chance to see Wes Anderson’s “The incredible Mr. Fox” and Spike Jonze’s “Where the wild things are”. Those two wonderful movies kept my mind busy, and as a consequence, I had almost no time to be melancholic.

The last days in the Managua office, the children from the village, the project’s closing event and the trip back home made me forget I wanted to go back to Austria because I missed food so much! I didn’t realise it until I arrived at Munich’s airport.

Right after picking my 3 pieces of luggage (including USD 150 overweight) I ran to “Oliva’s” at terminal 2 to have a falafel. Think of the tortilla with 3 falafel nuggets, garlic & yogurt sauce, chilli paste, red and white cabbage, lettuce and tomatoes.

After arriving in Innsbruck I went straight to the supermarket to buy half a litre of cocoa milk. This drink is very important for me since it has been my breakfast for the last 23 years. During the last five months I only drank milk during Christmas, when I was in Chihuahua, there, the milk is very good and hormone-free.

I have to admit that even though I am happy of being back in Innsbruck, I miss the village a lot and being away from it is more difficult than I thought. But I know for sure that I will go back to Managua, I have to see how Bianca, Dulce, Juanita, Kathy, Michael, Martin and the rest are doing.