I'm leaving on a jet plane....

I can't believe I'm heading out to Seattle tomorrow! I booked my flights 6 weeks ago and have tried not to think about it too much so that time would seem to just fly by. And boy has it!

Trips home bring along a string of emotions with it. First I get super nervous to fly for 6 hours. Then I get incredibly excited to see my family. Not long after that I'm exhausted from trying to stay up all hours and cram as much visiting in as possible. Then from all the exhaustion and excitement I get all sentimental and sappy when I realize how long it might be before I see my family and friends again. In the midst of all this, I start to get homesick for my hubby who is alone in Tennessee. And finally as the trip starts to wind down, I get sad and melancholy to say goodbye for what might be another long time.

When I finally make it back home to Tennessee, I'm emotionally and physically drained. I have tons of stories and memories to stick in my back pocket, but sad that its already over. Living away from home can be really difficult at times. So many things change while your gone. You realize the grocery store you went to growing up has been abandoned. You see new construction of homes where parks used to be. Little kids you once knew have hit puberty and are no longer recognizable. Teenagers your heart went out to are getting married and buying homes! Friends have become parents in what seems like overnight! It's weird, time never stops and waits for no one. Sometimes I wish I could hit the TIVO button on life back home and then hit play once I return, so I don't miss anything important.

Hmmm...I wonder how many times I'm going to get asked when we're going to start having kids? If I get asked too many times, I might just start randomly smacking people!

I guess I should get started on that packing list!