Home Sweet Home

Before I even finish this, I will say that this is my favorite entry thus far.  I can't believe I'm able to officially say that I'm finally home!  It was a wonderful year, full of new experiences and growth, but I am beyond ecstatic to be back.

After a long wait in the Amsterdam airport my brother and I finally boarded our flight to SFO.  I was stuck in the middle seat but it didn't end up mattering too much because I was able to pass out for a good six hours!  It was great to wake up and realize we had less than halfway to go.  The flight and the service were both good and the food we were served was pretty decent (for plane food).  Overall it was an enjoyable experience and when we began our decent into San Fran I started to get giddy.  My heart began pumping faster and faster and I was just so excited!  I don't think my brother felt the same way and probably got annoyed by the fact that I was kind of jumping up and down in my seat.

We finally touched down and I couldn't wait to get off the plane.  I wanted to kiss the ground as we exited and made our way over to customs.  I actually got Kenny to take a picture of me and the customs officer was not happy.  His bad mood didn't ruin my day though and we got in line to get our passports checked. It was awesome to march up to the "citizens" line instead of the visitors one and we both got through pretty easily.  Our bags were already circling around on the carousel so we found our way outside and waited on the curb for my mom.  California graced me with beautiful weather and I was just taking it all in...I couldn't stop smiling!!

My mom pulled up and I gave her a huge hug.  We got our bags loaded in the car and took off for the DMV.  I was grateful that my mom agreed to do it right away and it was a really good thing I had made an appointment ahead of time because the line was out the door when we got there.  Right now I have a piece of paper that is my unofficial license until the real one comes in the mail (with a new picture!).  It took less than an hour but when we walked outside we found out that the battery in the Maxima was dead.  AAA came out and jump-started us and then we were on our way.  It was so nice to drive by things that were familiar to me...it gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

We got home and I literally ran inside to give my dad a hug and to check out my room.  Nothing had changed but it was just so great to see.  My parents took me out to La Placita (favorite restaurant) and I enjoyed their company.  I slept so well that night because my mom made my bed extra comfy by adding a down comforter to it.  The next morning I got up and my dad drove me out to pick up my car. It looks so nice because a lot of it is repainted but I am going to have to take it back up soon because there is still one thing that needs to get fixed in the passenger-side door.  When we got there and the guy gave me the keys, I kind of just stared at them for a second not knowing what to do.  I was nervous to drive but my dad waited for me to get myself together and get going.  Once I started it was just like riding a bike; it felt like I had never left!  I loved the feeling of getting on the freeway and cruising with my music on.  I'd been waiting for that moment for quite awhile and I was not disappointed.

When I got home I picked up my mom and we ran to both of the banks where I have accounts.  We fixed everything up so that I closed the checking account in one but still have a credit card there and then deposited all my extra cash in the other.  I will be getting a couple of nice, new, shiny bank cards soon so that's something to look forward to.  After the logistical stuff was finished we decided to have some fun and go shopping.  We ended up spending the whole afternoon together and were very successful at the mall.  I don't think I've been that successful in a long time (I didn't really go shopping at all in Melbourne...no money!) and it was great just to be able to walk around and talk with my mom because I missed her so much while I was gone.  We came home to a great looking spaghetti dinner that my dad had prepared and it felt so good to sit and eat at our kitchen table with my family.

I went to bed very happy that night, but not until late because I was up packing for the bay area.  My mom stayed up with me and helped me decide what to bring and what to leave home/give away.  I gave a lot of stuff to Goodwill which felt nice and I was able to keep my clothes contained to two suitcases, woohoo!  I was both sad and excited when I woke up yesterday because I was heading down to see my friends but leaving my family behind.  The nice thing is knowing that we are all in the same time zone now and that I can go home whenever I want.  My parents even said they might come visit me soon, which would be fantastic.