Didn't We Just Do This?

Last Monday I went to the SLC airport with my family to see my little brother Travis off to Brazil...again.

Travis served in the Londrina, Brazil mission for two years and returned home in late March 2007. After getting home he kept himself very busy...he was a full-time student at BYU and a player on the BYU hockey team, the Icecats, which required a lot of time for practices and workouts during the week, plus games almost every Friday and Saturday night, many out of town or out of state. On top of that, he worked as many hours as he could squeeze in at his job and managed to do quite a bit of dating as well. So he surprised us all about a month ago when he told us he had decided to go back to Brazil for awhile...5 months, to be exact! He had told many people in Brazil he hoped to come back and visit them again someday, and he decided that now was a better time than any to do just that.

Of course we were all a little sad at the idea of seeing him go for an extended period of time...again...especially when it seems like he just got back. But, I am really glad he's taking the chance to do this while he's still single. There are some things that are just too complicated to do once you get married, and I know it will be an awesome experience for him. He loved his mission and the country of Brazil and the people there. Now he'll get to travel around, see parts of Brazil he couldn't before, go swimming at the beach, and best of all...he can see or call or email anybody he wants, whenever he feels like it! I am actually a little envious of him...how awesome would it be to live in an exotic foreign country for 5 months doing whatever you want?

Although, he will be working. He plans on traveling around and visiting friends and people he knew or taught for the first several weeks, and then he'll settle in one area, get an apartment, and find a job teaching English. He's planning on flying back to the U.S. just a few days before Christmas. After having three brothers go on missions, it will be so weird to go to the airport when Travis arrives and see him walking out wearing something besides a suit! I'm seriously considering bringing the "Welcome Back Kotter" banner I had made for his mission homecoming to the airport again, just to embarrass him when he walks out in his casual clothes. =)

So, til then, I'll miss ya Trav! But I'm glad you decided to do this. Have fun, please take care of yourself, and call us every once in awhile...because you can this time! ;)