Airport Duty

Growing up, I never spent much time in airports. I can count on one finger the number of times my family flew to our vacation destination. Given the cost of plane tickets with the added fact of having four kids, it's no wonder that our chosen method of travel was by road trip. Yes. Hours in the car playing games, playing other games when those got old, inventing new games, reading, falling asleep reading, listening to the book on tape that dad thought was a good idea.... well, you get the point. Besides, this post doesn't contain traveling tips.

My point is, now, I can't even count on two hands the number of times I have been in an airport within the past year. We traveled to Portugal via 3 airports, we flew to a company conference held in Germany, we've greeted new colleagues, we've picked up and dropped off teams that came to work with us, and we've picked up and dropped off friends and family that came for visits.

It seems at least a part of our life here revolves around the airport. And the airport has become almost a physical symbol of the connection we have with our previous life as well as a symbol of our current life, that is to say, a life of foreigners living in a foreign land.

Beyond this, our local airport has been a pretty consistent gift giver, and in December and January, it gave us some of the best gifts.

Mid-December, we received Hodge's parents as they came for a two week visit. As we waited, watching the flight status change from late, to landed, to first bag, to last bag... We were excited, happy, anxious, practically jumping up and down. After they walked through that big hole in the wall and towards us, I kept my eyes on them to make sure they were really real, here in the flesh, and that they weren't going to disappear as if a figment of my imagination. It was weird, but a very good weird in which two worlds became acquainted after many months of hearing about one another. On the heels of their departure, we were right back at the airport to pick up my sister, who also came for two weeks. Again, the giddiness and the stares had their roles.

Showing his parents Guimaraes, a city located just east of our town.

As we played the tour guides and showed the sites, we found it quite exhilarating to be able to share with each of them this country that we have become quite proud of and a people that we have come to love. The "oh"s and "ah"s only filled us with more pride as we received their approvals everywhere we went. We could have showed them a crack in the sidewalk and there would be pictures taken. After all, they were in Europe. And us, well... we were with family.

Now, our lives have gone back to "normal". While, for the time being, we have returned to emails and video chats, we cherish those moments gathered around the table, talking and hanging out with no means of technology to transmit our conversations. It was a great time, but more than that, it was another introduction to what life just might be like for the next several years if we continue on this journey of life overseas.

In April, our local airport will once again prove itself worthy as it brings us more gifts from the States as we welcome my parents.