Remember how I was all worried about flying alone with Ranger? THAT was wasted worry. The TSA folks were great, the Continental staff was great, and the flights went smoothly even though there was one delay. That's right, one. Four air planes but only one delay. The last flight was particularly cool because the seat back screens had games - Sudoku anyone?
Visiting with my folks is always bitter sweet. I love being around my family. But eventually I have to leave and go home. Sigh.
I also get anxious because lets face it, I didn't just leave home, I left a way of living. I left the military mindset, I left the near rural suburban life, I left Christmas for Yom Kippur. You know how the saying goes, you can't go home again? I don't think you can get a better example than my life. Well, home did leave my brother once. Really. He graduated from High School, and practically the same week the rest of us headed to a new location and stayed behind. At least that's how I remember it.
This was the first time, though, that I really FELT different. It was the first time I looked around at the spread out houses, huge green lawns, stand alone stores and all that goes along with suburbia, and didn't miss it. For years I would lament that I wanted to live a normal life. Normal was very much like what I described, with a Target and or Kohls thrown in. This trip I realized that my paradigm had changed. What I had once considered home....felt weird. Do you know how many times I forgot the diaper bag because I am not used to traveling by car? I actually found myself thinking that I didn't want to go out, just so I could avoid the whole getting in and getting out and parking and omgthesedriversdrivesoSLOWLY.
But we're home now, and have been doing swimmingly. Really- it rained so hard today there were times we might as well have been swimming!
