leaving Paris

On departure days, you breathe a sigh of relief if you get up on time. And if you pack everything well, and the zippers zip, and you're out the door just as the cab pulls up. And you give a very quiet little sigh of gratitude and relief when the child you're with doesn't complain that we have skipped breakfast, because no one is serving it at this early hour.

You breathe a sigh of relief if the traffic isn't horrible leaving the city. Of course, it's still dark and everything outside is a blur.

You smile with relief when the cab driver finds you a cart at the airport because there are now two little cases, two wee bags and two very heavy backpacks. Books, cameras, computers pack a punch. Your little one sees the check in line and makes herself comfortable on top of the suitcases. She fits. We move slowly and breathe a great sigh of relief when we are finally checked in. And now we're in the next line, the super big one that takes us through passport controls. Cart not allowed. Child takes a step and sits down. Gets up, takes a step, sits down. (Where? On your feet of course.)

A big sigh of relief when we are through passport controls and have removed all those heavy contents from our backpacks to pass through security. Nice agent calls me back to show me that I forgot to pick up my watch. That's the first time on this trip that I forgot something and I am hugely relieved that we have everything now and are done with the whole mess of getting to our point of departure.

And now (so many hours later!) is the time for breakfast and the girl is hungry. Yogurt, croissant and potato chips, not necessarily in that order. Others may think this was not the best way to fill a tummy, but who am I to say what a child's tummy needs at this moment of this complicated day.

One more line and such chaos it is! We're flying home on Delta and maybe they're not yet used to having full flights leaving Paris, because it is a messy boarding. 

And finally, finally a huge sigh of relief. Door of plane is closed. We're going home.

It's always such a long flight back. But I can do nothing but feel relief: there are no delays, there is no lost luggage, we have a comfortable layover in Detroit.

(Snowdrop can play with this foldable portable Polly Pocket forever. Only once did I have to crawl under tight airplane seats in search of a missing piece...)

And best of all, as we finally land (on time!) in Madison, pick up our bags and come outside, Snowdrop's mommy and two brothers drive up to reunite with the girl they've missed so much these past days. And yes, she is excited to see them. It's midnight on our internal clocks, but you'd never know it looking at her now.

Big, happy sigh of relief. We managed! We more than managed!

I drive home to the farmette, to Ed who has been out planting the baby peach trees, to the cats, the chickens, all of it. I am surprised how brown the grasses are still. Anything blooming yet? Only a crocus or two. The rest? Holding off until my return! 

Home. With so much love...