I work at the airport in Atlanta. Before COVID-19, ATL was the world’s largest and busiest airport in the world. I was skeptical when I first heard this because I have flown through many airports, like Dubai and Dallas Fort-Worth. I could have sworn that those were some of the largest and busiest airports in the world.
But I digress.
The other day, I had at least 3 people I was assisting say that I was Hispanic and/or Brazilian.
But I digress again.
The 1st and 2nd person looked at my name tag and said that my name is Spanish. Having lived in Brazil for 3 years, I know that my first name is Brazilian/Spanish, but my last name is definitely not. Sullivan. Can you get more Irish than that? Not to mention my pasty white skin, blonde hair and hazel eyes. Sure, that fits the profile of several European countries and southern Brazil was settled/controlled by Germany I think, so there is European influence, but still. I definitely don’t look Hispanic. But hey, it was a conversation piece while I checked their bag.
The 3rd was a family traveling together. The father was the only one who spoke English and in the middle of me helping them, he walked away to talk to someone else. I had asked the wife a question and she spoke in not English, calling to her husband. I did my best to fake Spanish based on what I know in Portuguese, but it was an epic failure, as it usually is. (Side note: Spanish and Portuguese are NOT similar! Spanish speakers don’t understand a word that I am saying. Although I can understand about 50% of what they are saying in this limited context of flying.) The wife looked at me and in Portuguese said, “Oh, you speak Portuguese!” The husband had returned at this point and asked if I was Brazilian and then how I knew Portuguese because I’m not Brazilian. Another person in their party then chimed in and said that my Portuguese was very good. I graciously thanked them and smiled to myself. It’s been almost 3 years since I left Brazil and it doesn’t seem to show! (At least not in a short succinct conversation)
What all these people didn’t know is that I wish I was Brazilian, so their comments today made my day. After living there for 3 years, I was planning to live there for the indefinite future. Unforeseen circumstances changed that at least for now, but you never know what God has in store for you. I really do hope that someday I can go back. But for now, I will have to settle for coaching volleyball at a club owned and run by Brazilians. Hopefully it will help me retain and or gain back some of the vocabulary that I have lost.
Heaven is my Home 