Re-evaluating the Airport

I am now over a week removed from my trip to Dallas and in many ways still recovering mentally from the experience of being on an airplane.

The trip home from Dallas was an interesting one. We arrived at the airport at 1:30 for a 3:10 flight which ended up being delayed until 7:30. Over the course of that 6 hour wait we changed gates 4 times!

As annoying as that delay was, with the benefit of hindsight I realized that it actually was one of the most fun parts of the trip. Sure my stomach was a mess due to anxiety. Sure I just wanted to take off so that I could land and be done with the trip. But I also spent 6 hours in the airport with my parents and 4 other cousins. With no children. When do we ever have a chance to spend 6 hours talking, laughing, gossiping and sharing snacks? Never.

And we really did fully utilize the time. We got to know each other even better than we already did (is that possible????) We heard the same stories over and over yet each time they're told we laugh as if its the first time hearing them.

One of the cousins we were with is the son of my Great Aunt Zelda. Aunt Zelda took over the role of being my grandmother when my grandmother, her beloved older sister died. She came to ALL of my nursery school events. She asked me all about my teachers in elementary school. She took me for special Aunt Zelda/Alisa days. She instilled in my a sense of humor, an ability to laugh at myself and drilled into my brain the importance of family. When she died she left me with the knowledge that my grandmother's generation had loved me so much. So for me to spend some extra time getting to know him even better than I already did was a HUGE blessing in disguise.

Once we finally boarded he sat one row behind me. When we hit some shaky turbulence I turned to look at him and he locked eyes with me. I immediately felt better.

The best part of that delay? That we started planning a party for my parent's 40th anniversary next April. This party will hopefully bring all of Dallas to us! Another opportunity to get together, to share the same stories all over again, to love on each other for 48 hours straight. And this time my kids get to be there for it too!!!!!

I have always thought that I should write a book about my family. Maybe this airport delay will be the kick in the pants needed to get me going.