Family and Travels

It has been a crazy vacation.

Wonderful and crazy all in the same few days. I really wanted to post a brief update on life, but unfortunately my computer has refused to ever load a page of the web ever again, regardless of internet connection. This means I don't have any pictures which really saddens me.

I'm realizing that holidays are never the same without family. Known fact sure, but it's become a real understanding this season. I have also really come to know that family is not limited to those I share blood with. Sometimes spending time in the family I grew up with reminds me of how much I miss my family in California. On the other hand, spending plenty of time in California reminds me of how much I value my family here, in Michigan. I suppose what "they" say could be true, "You'll want what you don't have."
My family means everything to me. From grandparents down through the lines to nieces and nephews, extending as far as my friends who help me make it through the day. I am who I am partially due to the fact that I know you so, thank you.

Funny story. I flew from Mammoth Lakes to San Francisco, and in less than 60 minutes, left my terminal to also leave security, change airlines and reservations, pick up my new tickets boarding passes and itinerary, go through security and make it to my next flight gate just as they were calling off my seating area for boarding. I flew from San Francisco to Cincinnati to find airport protocol had changed since I last flew in May. They no longer have monitors posting all the flights and their according gates, you have to scan the bar code on your boarding pass with these funny machines that will print a receipt to tell you your gate. After discovering this, I discovered I had approximately 5 minutes to get to my gate on the other side of the terminal. I flew from Cincinnati to Chicago. I found my seat, second to the last row on the plane when I heard a familiar voice from behind me, "She kind of looks like.....no." I turned around and responded, "YES!" Blast from the past, Tom Feifer! My middle school friend from Michigan was seated one row behind me on the flight from Cincinnati to Chicago and the gracious lady next to him offered to trade me seats. We had an hour on the plane, and nearly as long on the train, to remember and catch up. He was even gracious when the turning of the plane was not so gracious on my stomach. I could have asked for nothing better in the chaos of my first day of vacation. Chasing planes, nearly missing flights, queeziness, ending up in Chicago, and an old friend I would have likely not seen for a long time. Turns out the world is pretty small, especially when you are traveling.