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Good news:You CAN go home again...

Not so good news: In my case, it doesn't necessarily mean that my stuff is in the same place that I left it.





Problemkind in Training:
Can you feel the love tonight?
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Home Sweet Home ...

or something to that effect.

I finally made it back to Oklahoma City. The flight was a huge (albeit semi-anticipated) hassle, as my plane out of NYC spent about two hours on the runway waiting in line to take off, which in turn caused me to miss my connecting flight to OKC from Houston. I managed to sleep through most of the flight from NYC to Houston -- an amazing feat, since I normally have trouble sleeping in planes. I think I figured out a trick... if I pretend that a plane is just a big flying car, then I can just doze right off.

Because I love sleeping in cars.

I've always loved the approach down into Oklahoma City. During my college days, coming back to Oklahoma for Christmas or the summer meant that I could get away from the insanity that was Smith College. When the wheels touched the ground it was like my brain would just relax and go "Ahhhhhhh...", all sigh-of-relief like.

Today it was almost too overwhelmingly emotional for me. Suddenly it hit me just how long I'd been away and just how much I'd been out of contact with my family and friends here. A year is a long time to be gone, but add into the mix (extremely) sporadic phone and email contact and somehow I think it's amazing that I managed to survive.

I mean it's one thing when you don't like the people who await you back at home.

It's a whole 'nother story when you pretty much love them more than life itself.

I spent the evening catching up with various family members. My sister Robbyn picked me up from the airport (which has been renovated since I've been away -- so it looks completely different from how I remember it).

One of the first things she said to me on the drive home was, "Oh so I threw away most of the crap that's in the garage... well, except yours."

My "crap" that is.

Apparently, she moved all my stuff into the garage after I left and then moved into my room. It's actually not that big of a deal because Rule #1 of living in a big family: A room is never really "yours". If you leave, it's pretty much fair game.

*sigh*

I called my brother, Remy and my sister, Cristal. Then Gillian came over with her husband, Dave and my two nieces Gabi and Zoe (she's the one giving the camera the finger). Aunt Helen passed by and dropped my mom off, so I chatted with her crazy Trinidadian-self for a bit. Finally, my dad came home from work around midnight and I caught him up on the last 6 months of my life... and delicious chinese food was consumed throughout the evening.

It's good to be home...

even if there's like a fuckin' musket just chillin in the corner of my "new room"

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