Parents in Bangkok

After being on my own in Thailand for two months with just Siri and her family and friends to keep me entertained, I was starting to get homesick.  I haven't seen the U.S. since Thanksgiving.  I missed Christmas, New Years, and the great blizzard of 2009.   I missed talking American politics, nascar, and football.  I missed giving my mother a hard.

They were set to arrive Tuesday evening.  I was very excited. I felt like all my problems and worries would go away as soon as they arrived.  Siri and I went to the airport early that day.  We didn't want to risk being late for this moment.  We waited for a long time.  Watching the time, the flight board, and the TV screens of everyone just arriving.  I had a feeling that I hadn't had in a long time.  I didn't even know you could remember feelings.  I felt just like I did when I was a little boy waiting at the airport for my grandmother when she came to visit my family in Virginia 25 years ago.  It was a feeling of excitement and giddy.  I felt like a kid on Christmas day.

Siri and I spent our time talking about my parents.  We tried to predict what they were going to be wearing and what the first thing they were going to say.  Unfortunately those predictions went away when we saw that they had arrived but were unable to find them.  We waited at the meeting area for over an hour.  Finally I decided to go exploring.  I got a text message saying that they were at exit 6.  I was at exit 6.  I didn't see them.  I was so excited I started making noises to get their attention just in case they were near.

Finally, the thought crossed my mind to look down.  I was on the 3rd floor.  I looked down and there they were standing right under me, 2 stories down.  I yelled at them and they started to look around.  As I said "HEY CRAZY PEOPLE FROM MYRTLE BEACH" and threw a business card down at them, a man finally told them to look up.  We had found each other.

The remainder of the night was filled with excitement.  Everybody was so excited to talk and tell there stories that we probably had four conversations going on simultaneously.   We stayed up all night talking.  Catching up, making plans, and just being together.  It was great.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy being with my family.