In Which Australians Come to Town
For the past 10 months, I feel like I’ve been red-lining, and you’d think as Melina’s visit winds down, so would the pace. This turns out not to be the case!
Friday evening found Melina and me hurtling down SRT to the airport to pick up a couple of genuine Australian guests, who were in town for the weekend. A few months ago, an Aussie friend of mine from school had posted that some of his friends’ kids were doing a tour of the US, and did any of his friends want to host them for a few days. I, with my newfound cosmopolitanality of hosting an international exchange student, raised my hand, and Rachel and Sarah were finally here!
They are lovely young ladies. Melina, whose first choice for an exchange program was Australia, was in heaven, peppering them with questions. I’ve never seen her so bubbly! For the past couple of days, we’ve been seeing the sights of Dallas and its ‘burbs, and I’ve really loved seeing North Texas through yet another set of international eyes.
Last evening, we fired up the Honda and roared down the DNT to downtown Dallas for a nice dinner and some nightlights viewing at Reunion Tower. I loathe driving in downtown Dallas. All of it’s one-way, narrow streets and no parking, and none of it brings out my better nature.
“I never see you angry except when you drive,” Melina told me, as I navigated up and down streets trying to find a place to park the car.
“Where the #$%^ is a parking garage!” I responded in my usual dulcet tones, setting an excellent example for the wide-eyed young ladies with me. Not one of my finer moments.
Reunion Tower is a wonder and a landmark in the Dallas skyline. But it is also very, very high. We zoomed to the top in a windowed-elevator and stepped out onto the open-air deck, and things got very, very swoony for a second. The girls ran to the edge and started snapping photos of Dallas at night while I stayed close to the interior of the deck. Pictures ensued.
And no visit to Texas is complete without a swing by Buccee’s. IYKYK.
“This is so American,” Sarah said in awe as we walked into the bustling store after counting the 88 gas pumps. We spent the better part of an hour there, and when Melina finally checked out, her arms were full of American snacks and Buccee’s delicacies. Somebody in France is going to get to enjoy a handful of Beaver Nuggets.
And finally, for Mother’s Day, Melina surprised me with a set of beautiful magnets for the fridge (she knows me so well) and the sweetest note. She leaves in 10 days. I get onion-eyed when I think about it. Lots of lasts coming up: last soccer game, last movie, last Mexican food run, last trip to the grocery store, last parent pick-up line at school. Speaking of school, her last day is Friday, but I told her she could skip it altogether this week after she returns her Chromebook. According to her, I am the Best Host Mom Ever. On this rainy Mother’s Day, I’ll take it!
