So Close to Home

I was duped by the fabled perils of holiday travel. I got to the airport 2 hours early, something I never, repeat, never do. (Well, I never do now that I don't fly with my mom anymore.) It's unnecessary.

But people kept talking about how crazy it was going to be, so I came 2 hours early. And, people were right, it was busier than usual. But turns out the airport was prepared for that. I even checked a bag and still made it to my gate with an hour and a half to spare.

Thank goodness I have a blog that I've been neglecting and free airport wi-fi. I think I'll make a list.

Top 10 Things I'm Excited About This Christmas:

1) Nativity Challenge 2009- My brother and I have a decades old traditional nativity challenge. It consists of closing our eyes and taking turns picking nativity pieces out of the box. The person who ends up with Baby Jesus is clearly the winner.

2) Satellite TV- This is always my favorite about going home. I watch movies, ESPN, and Discovery Channel marathons (Mike Rowe- I love you).

3) Fighting with my brother- It's inevitable.

4) Christmas Eve Dinner- Another tradition including steak, shrimp from a box, pink salad, and broccoli casserole. Delicious.

5) Presents!- Come on, you're all excited for presents too. Don't pretend like you're above it.

6) Christmas Family Game Night- Always Christmas Day Eve. Very competitive, very fun.

7) Playing Charades/Scattegories/Mafia/Taboo followed by a trip to Steak n' Shake- Everyone get pumped. You know who you are.

8) Watching my grown-up family struggle to put together whatever presents my niece and nephew get- Why so many pieces?

9) Midwestern Stranger Friends- I keep telling people, it's not weird to talk to strangers. Midwesterners know this and I am excited to be back amongst them.

10) Home. Pure and simple.

I love my life and I love my adventures, but the feeling I got when I drove out of Williams reminded me that Missouri is home and there's no place like it. If only it were baseball season...