Since I've Been Home

April 7, 2017

After a long day of travel involving a brief run-in with airport security that included a pat down and hand swabbing as well as a bag search because of some trail mix that apparently looked questionable, I arrived home late Tuesday night. I have to give it to everyone I encountered at the airport. They were all super friendly and extra helpful. The lady at the gate even re-routed my flight so that I wouldn't have to go through JFK (I was sort of bummed about that, but glad that it meant I wouldn't be getting stuck in an airport). I visited with a guy from Maine on my first flight and a Zag student on the last. I slept and read and people watched just like I always do.

When I arrived at baggage claim, my sister was waiting for me holding a piece of paper with my last name written on it. Maybe I was tired, but seeing as how she had no idea what I had gone through that day, I found it hilarious. We snagged my bag after being "jumped" by my brother (whose favorite thing in the world is to scare me from behind) and made our way to the van where they had two lunchables and my favorite chocolate milk for me to snack on.

When I got home, I washed my hands and then fell into bed. Because I am a crazy person, I only slept five or six hours before finding myself completely awake. I settled into my chair with a coffee and the fact that I was "home" began to sink in. I opened the curtains and realized that it was going to be a beautiful day. After rain, rain, and more rain, I was pretty excited about that. I got ready for the day and hours after I arrived home it was time to jump back into my routine. While on the way to my first errand of the day, I got a message that some friends of ours were coming over to spend the night. Over coffee I had told my Mom that I would need a few days to settle in...God had other plans. 

My family made sure that I came home to a clean house, but there were still some "company is coming" things to take care of. I got all my laundry done, washed the screen door that was installed while I was away, and then set about getting the house ready for Nick and Jeremy's visit. I was making decent time. When I went out to sweep the porch I realized that what I call "basketball in the driveway weather" had arrived...It was the perfect night to shoot hoops. Unfortunately, my brother had a lot of homework. Fortunately, I came up with a plan b and got someone else to go. 

I turned back onto my street to hear a diesel engine slowing down beside me...Nick rolled down the window and I realized that our company had arrived earlier than I expected. We swapped hugs and "my goodness, it's been a long time" greetings and made our way into the house where we sat for several hours just catching up. Before we knew it, it was getting LATE and since they needed to be on the road by 6 the next morning, we called it a night. 

I was up and at em' around 5 the next morning to fix some eggs and biscuits before they headed on their way. When they left, I realized that the last two weeks were catching up with me. I felt sooooo drained. I had some things to do, but after that, the rainy day was the perfect invitation to lay down for however long of a nap I needed. I knew I wanted to go to my Thursday night group, but I wasn't sure if I had it in me. By the time I needed to start dinner, I realized that I was feeling slightly more with it. I made some pizza dough and prepped a salad and announced that dinner was ready just in time for me to head out the door. 

I made it through a few hours of volleyball, took second in a game of bump, and basically kept myself upright on the basketball court. I stuck around for a bit of visiting and then I wandered out to the van in a daze. I went to bed when I got home and didn't wake up until after 9 this morning. I'm feeling a lot better, which is a good thing because I've got a lot going on over the next few days. 

The weather has been warm and sunny, cold and wet, and full on stormy (we're talking thunder and hail and wind) which honestly kind of matches what's been going on inside of me. I'm grateful for the last two weeks and everything I had here waiting for me at home. I almost always hit the ground running when I get home and yet it's always a little discombobulating. 

I still have a few things in my suitcase to put away and pictures to put on the computer and surprises to hand out and a thank you note to mail. My feet will be underneath me soon enough. So much has happened since I've been home. This weekend is going to be more of the same. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

What have you been up to?

Do you take it slow when you get home from a trip?