Family and Friends

At the Geneva Airport

I had the opportunity to travel back to the United States for a 2 week visit and was so excited. Doug was traveling to Ohio a week later for business so I was flying solo. It had been a while since I had flown by myself and I found myself double checking my passport, money, and belongings frequently. I left my apartment at 8:30 am for my 11:45 flight. It was a little earlier than I needed to leave but I was ready. I had already double checked to make sure I had everything and knew it could take up to an hour to get to the airport depending on traffic. Plus, I wanted to be one step closer to family and friends.

I grabbed my luggage, took the tram and then the bus to the Geneva airport, easily got through the check in and security process and headed to my gate. I was stopped at passport control so I handed them my passport and was told my visa had expired. I tried to explain I had a 6 month family reunion visa. He pointed to an April expiration date and just took my passport to another agent. I wasn't anxious yet but I could feel my heartbeat pick up speed as they spoke to each other in French. I thought about what I could do and remembered my Swiss identification card. I handed it to the agent. He smiled (good sign) and said, "show this next time." My heartbeat slowed as I walked to my gate. I was on my way.

I met the most interesting people on the flights headed to Washington, D.C. and Dayton. One gentleman had been in Geneva at the United Nations for 2 days. He worked with a U.S. non profit agency and had been meeting with people from all over the world trying to help the African refugees. One woman was in Geneva for 4 days. She worked with the World Trade Organization and shared her story of many trips leaving a young family at home. On my flight to Dayton I met a man who had been in Turkey for 6 months and had been traveling for over 28 hours already. He didn't share much about what he had been doing but he was a civilian working with the military. He was moving from Dayton to Texas for work the following week and was ready to be home. I watched his joyful reunion with his wife and children.

I had prepared a list of things I wanted to do while in the States. It was a bit daunting but my priority was to see family and friends. My friend, Shirley, picked me up at the airport. We had planned to have dinner together and Chipotle was my choice. I slowly savored every bite as we reconnected and shared stories.

Welcome Home

As we entered my neighborhood I kept staring out the window anticipating the first view of my yard and house. The yard was freshly mowed (thanks Jeff) and was so welcoming. I walked into my house, set down my luggage, walked into the kitchen and enjoyed the sights and smells of home. It felt good to be back. I leisurely wandered from room to room, climbed the stairs, and fell into bed. It had been a long day.

The next day I went to Kroger. My father-in-law, Bill, was coming for dinner and I was making roast chicken with all the fixings for his belated birthday. I was unprepared for my reaction as I walked into the grocery. I stopped to consider why I had tears in my eyes. The familiarity. The convenience. The abundance. The colors. Row after row of items. Everything right where I knew I would find it. All in a language I could read. All this and more assaulted my senses and emotions. I had to keep telling myself I didn't need to buy everything even if it all looked so good. Later that evening Bill and I talked about the last 3 months while sitting at the kitchen table. Dinner was nice but time together was priceless.

Good times with Anita and Dana 

I spent the first week doing those things on the to-do list as I prepared to be gone for another 3 months; dentist appointment, hair cut, yard work, bills and mail, shopping for things difficult to find or expensive in Switzerland, yearly home maintenance jobs, etc. I am deelpy grateful for friends who are helping take care of the details while I am gone. I tried to connect with as many people as I could. My heart was full of thankfulness for these good friends. Having lunch together, kayaking on the river, time at the pool, going for a walk, and chatting over tea. I cherished every moment and every conversation.

Doug arrived in Mason for his business trip just as I was about to leave. We sat on our patio for a moment in the coolness of the evening and shared news and dreams.

The second week I traveled to Green Bay to see my parents and siblings. My sister, Debbie, and her darling 17 month old son, Dillon, joined Bre and I on our 9 hour drive to Wisconsin. Each city we passed brought us closer to family. Time and miles flew by as we shared our thoughts, stories, family memories, and plans for the future.

Debbie and Dillon had driven to Ohio from North Carolina the previous day and we were spending another long day in the car. We talked and laughed about who would need to stop first. It wasn't Dillon. He was an amazing traveler.

We arrived in Wisconsin, after only 2 stops mind you, excited to see everyone.

Family photo time

This was a very special time as all 9 of us, along with my mom and dad, were home at the same time. My brother, Ben, and his wife, Julia, joined us from South Carolina. What a blessing it was to all be together! We got to spend some precious moments together celebrating with good food, great fun and lots of hugs. We did miss my sister, Julie, who was ill at home recovering from complications after shoulder surgery. Thankfully she's feeling better and I saw her before we left.

I enjoyed playing and talking with my nieces and nephews, eating all of my favorite barbeque foods, and sitting around Josh's kitchen table with some of my siblings as we shared stories of our childhood.

crazy cousin fun

On our trip back to Ohio we remarked, "There is never enough time to visit no matter how many days we spend together." We always long for one more day.

I prepared for my trip back to Geneva with a few more visits with friends, a little more shopping, and a dinner with Doug and Bill. The two weeks had sped by. It was time to return to Geneva.

As I got on the plane I thought about how blessed I am to have such amazing friends and family.