I'm Home!

Well, here I am! After over 24 hours of travel, Nick and I have finally made it home! I can't believe it!

And what an emotional 24 hours it was. Nick and I both knew we were in for a bit of a roller coaster (emotionally speaking) when we found ourselves a bit too moved by the in-flight showing of Sandra Bullock's movie The Blind Side.

Neither of us actually kissed the ground when we arrived on American soil, but we both wanted to. I got a little choked up on the jet way, but kept my composure and hummed patriotic songs all the way from the gate through immigration and then through customs - the Star Spangled Banner, You're a Grand Ole' Flag, Proud to Be and American, My Country Tis of Thee....

The first thing I did once we cleared customs was to drink water from a water fountain (something I haven't been able to do for over a year!) Then, I called my parents collect from O'Hare airport (mostly just because I could!) and let them know I was back in the good ole' USA. After a short conversation, I proceeded to cry on Nick's shoulders for several minutes - tears of joy - because we were finally HOME!

Except that we still had a 3 hour lay-over plus a 60 minute wait on the tarmac for some maintenance. We arrived just after 8pm, an hour late. In anticipation of seeing my parents for the first time in 15 months, I shed some tears on the tram connecting the gates with baggage claim. Then, a couple minutes later when I actually saw my parents, I started to cry again!

But after that, it was all out of my system and we collected our bags and headed home to my first home-cooked meal in many many months - lasagna, pumpkin pie, and a 6-pack of Bud Light for Nick!

This morning, after only 6 hours of sleep, Nick and I awoke bright and early to a chorus of birds chirping outside of my parents' house. At first we both thought it was a recording being broadcasted over a PA system, or maybe some song birds hung in cages outside the window.

But it didn't take us long to realize that it wasn't a recording, but it was actually NATURE! We woke up to the sounds of NATURE! and beyond the chirping birds was blissful, American silence.

I still have another post about Singapore and then.... I'm not really sure what will happen to my blog, but I'm not quite ready to think about the future past my first day home yet. So all I have to say for now is It's good to be home!!!