Day One

If I don't start talking about how incredible my spring break was, I'll never be able to recall all the details that made it one of the best weeks ever. So here's Day One:

After a stressful journey to the airport hindered by highway construction, I hugged my awesome aunts goodbye and began the journey home. My flight was not for several hours, so I found my gate and tried to calm my anticipation with Grapes of Wrath. This is when I made a new friend. A large, formidable man in his late twenties sat down next to me.

Big Guy: Our flight's delayed?
Me: Oh, uh..yeah. Just by an hour I think.
Big Guy: And you didn't tell me? You've let me down, do not do it again.

His tone was humorless. I might have been a little scared if I wasn't so excited to get out of California. Honestly, I preferred this angry guy to my next acquaintance- a short young guy with curly hair and a permanent air of eagerness. While waiting in line to board the plane he kept glancing back at me with this eager expression...for a solid five minutes. Finally he musters up this little gem- "So..do you know how many miles you have to fly to be an elite member?"

"Uh..no I'm not sure."

The flight felt mercifully short and when I was finally at Bush I realized that Texas even has a distinct smell to it. I always feel like I could kiss the ground when I get back there. At baggage claim I spotted my eager elite-member friend headed towards me, but I was spared another awkward encounter by my beautiful friends. I heard their yells and their feet hitting the ground and was just able to glance up and see Natalie, Morgan, Hannah, Rachel, Kate, and Lindsey before they all attacked me at once. You guys will never know how much those airport ventures mean to me. Ask Marisa, she knows what's up. After all the hugs and pictures, Natalie tied a "Welcome Home!" balloon to my backpack. The balloon was red, white and blue with stars all over it, and I thought briefly that it was probably intended to welcome home a brave solider. I loved it anyway.

Everyone was sympathetic to my urgent need for Tex-Mex, so the group headed out to Papacitos. I love my friends, and I really love a bunch of us piled into Kate's minivan with Shots (the most ridiculous song I've ever heard) blasting through the speakers. (Here I must digress and thank Kate for assuming the role of driver. I wouldn't have wanted the job when I recall the way we were behaving)

That was probably the best dinner of my life. Everyone had too much to say and the laughter wouldn't stop. Morgan and Natalie got very competitive with their invented restaurant game- "hand grabbing" the waiter. Any time he tried to hand something to them, be it a menu, plate or straw, they'd go out of their way to touch his hands as he handed it over. Poor guy, they kept it up the whole night. Things only got better with the waiters celebrating my 19th, ("no wait 17th...no wait 19th!") birthday and our group's deplorable restaurant manners. As always, we drew hearts all around our waiter's name on the receipt and left our numbers. This time the game hit a new personal best- he actually called Lindsey! It may be less attributed to her charm than to the fact that she'd forgotten her wallet, but I still see it as an accomplishment.

My heart was so full that night. Thank you so much for it, I can't begin to describe how happy I was. I love you all.