Life Down Under

Re-entry

Taylor and I arrived back on Sunday after a long but good trip. We had 3 seats between the 2 of us on the long flight, which made all the difference in the world! Gotta love status with the Star Alliance. Thanks to all of Aaron's travel last year, I am the holder of a gold card (until August of this year), which gave us lots of perks on our trip ~ access to the lounges, priority/free/extra baggage, and that extra seat which meant a much more comfortable trip home for both of us. I felt like it was a little "thank-you present" from heaven for holding down the fort at home when Aaron was on the road so much last year.

We narrowly escaped the swine flu drama coming back into the country. The students who traveled from Mexico to NZ via LA were on the flight a day before us, and the drama of the whole thing really didn't hit the country 'til a day or two after we arrived. So fortunately we sailed through the airport with no dramas or difficulty. We did have to get Taylor a doctor's clearance before she was allowed to go to pre-school, but that was no worry seeing as how we're both healthy.

It's been good to be back with Aaron and to get re-settled here, though at the same time, I always find that it takes me a week or two for my heart to catch up with the physical location of my body. The body gets from Kansas City to NZ in 24 hours, but sometimes it takes longer for the heart to catch up! Of course I'm glad to be back with Aaron and glad to be back in this life we now live that is our destiny and inheritance and calling in God. Yet at the same time, twinges of sadness and pain still prick my heart as I take off that old, broken-in, comfortable pair of jeans (metaphorically speaking of the comfort and joy and familiarity of home) and return them to the closet of my memory, not knowing when the next time will be that I get to wear them. Fortunately, though, between Taylor's birthday, her starting school in a couple weeks, and preparing for the baby, I have enough here to keep me busy and to help me re-settle into life here. It's all good.