Let me paint you a picture. A really, really, incredibly small picture. There is this island, smack dab in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Completely surrounded by water. Roughly 3,000 miles from America and 1,000 miles from Portugal. No, it’s not an episode of Lost, although sometimes it feels like it. It’s the island of Terceira, home to the Lajes Field Air Base where I happen to be visiting. Let me paint you another picture. There is an American grocery store on the Air Force Base. Roughly 10 aisles, and a handful of shopping carts. The shelves where produce normally is stocked…completely bare. The section for fresh meats, cheeses, and breads…equally barren. Spaces for items like spices, canned beans, and cookies are collecting dust. No, it’s not post-apocalyptic, pre-hurricane, or even a result of really hungry people. Instead, there is a logistics problem, and the jet that carries food from other American bases to the Island is not operating. As much as we could really use the help of a Fast Dallas Courier to swoop in and save the day, Lajes isn’t lucky enough to have a strong, local business that takes care of all their transportation needs. What Lajes does have, though, is a great selection of Portuguese items outside the base walls, waiting to be experienced by the Americans.
