For seventeen glorious days I was back in Erie, Pennsylvania! I found out that I was going back home for the holidays back in October when my wonderful parents told me that they got a ticket for me to travel back. The weeks leading up to the break I was literally freaking out I was so excited, and the days at home did not disappoint. Getting to PA from American Samoa is no joke however, and even though I left on the night of the 17th, I didn't get back home until noonish on the 19th. The trip home itself was wonderful in that once I got to Hawaii I was so excited to have some nice AC and good coffee and vegetables for lunch that the waiting through my eight hour layover wasn't that bad! My last flight home from Detroit to Erie I was so excited I was worried that I might pee myself, and was even excited when it was snowing when we landed. As Erie is a small airport there were only about 30 people on my flight so it didn't take long to get to the gate, and once I saw my family waiting I couldn't stop smiling. As I came through security my mom was right there waiting and I grabbed her in a hug while she cried (moms…) and right after grabbed my dad and little bro Ricky. It was so surreal to see my family after leaving them at the exact same spot in the airport almost exactly five months ago. That whole day I was awash with giddiness because it was just so weird and good to be home. It felt strange to realize that though my last five months had been tumultuous and each day brought something new, that things at home had gone on as they always had.
I headed with my mom right to my grandfather's house as it was the day where my extended family gathers to cook tens of dozens of cookies which we so creatively refer to as "Cookie Day". In one fell swoop I got to catch up with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandfather – not to mention eat a bunch of fresh homemade cookies. After heading back home for a nap I stopped by my grandpa's house again, and then met up with my friends at our favorite bar, the Plymouth. The days leading up to Christmas were nearly as perfect as I could imagine. Sunday was the Packer's game with my family and our crowd of fellow Packer fans and seeing my friends again. Monday was our epic party at my friend's condo at the nearby ski resort where we had a mini reunion of old Camp Notre Dame friends from as far as Alaska and Scotland who it was amazing to see again. Tuesday I headed to my paternal grandparents house for the traditional Wigilia full of perogies and such and my dad's sister's family from Ohio. More hanging out, Christmas shopping and spending time with family lead up to a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas where I gave my cousin Erin who was my person in our family gift exchange an 'Ava bowl and some congressional corned beef. All during Christmas I was so happy to be able to be home with family. Some people like the idea of traveling for Christmas, or don't mind being with their family, but with my family as close as we are I wouldn't have it any other way.
The rest of my stay in Erie after Christmas was full of seeing friends, hanging out and just enjoying civilization. Watched another Packer game, went out for my cousins Birthday, and many other fun things all leading up to New Year's Eve. The night ended up being another mini reunion with Camp friends, and also with two of my friends from grade school and high school. We rang in the new year old school. New Year's Day my parents have the whole family over for food and fun, and I was a fun time. Saturday we headed out to Camp for my little cousin's birthday party, and I stayed up way too late having convos and my cousins where we all realized that we are old, and our parents were nearly all married by our age. It was a rather disturbing realization. Sunday was the final Packer game of the season, and Erie apparently wanted to see me off in style because that day started some blizzardy weather that lasted until I left the next day. Finally it was time to go home, and my folks dropped me off at the airport and we said our goodbyes again and I headed into the gate.
As fate would have it my flight out of Erie was delayed, and as a result I missed my connecting flight from Detroit to LA. By some lucky chance the only way that the airline could get me to Hawaii in time for my flight back to Pago was to re-route me through Las Vegas and to have my seat from Vegas to Hawaii be first class! Sipping champagne as I flew over the strip, I enjoyed my first and most likely my last ever first class flight. Finally, late Tuesday night I made it back to the heavenly hot and humid weather of my AmSam home.
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| A Very Merry Christmas |
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