Mom's Kitchen: Where the only thing "Lite" is the soy sauce!

After the hugs came the first words each and every girl wants to hear upon returning home and seeing their parents after a year abroad, "You got your nose pierced!" Well, maybe not the words I was expecting, but a rational choice on their part.

The flight home was a bit unbearable, not due at all to the nice individual sitting next to me who only had to go to the bathroom once and spent the rest of the time keeping to himself or sleeping... if only all plane neighbors could be so perfect. Rather, it was because any flight over 4 hours by yourself turn from exciting to tedious rather quickly and half of my movies had problems iwth the audio, so I was limited as to the amount of mindless entertainment to which I was privy... I did succeed in losing a few brain cells to "Bride Wars" though so it wasn't a total loss. The customs line went on forever, but at least it was a definite line where one knew who was in front of them and where to go. America, while difficult to enter, is at least organized in its strictness.

My bag arrived, but unfortunately my best friend was late and couldn't make it to greet me. I was nothing short of exhausted since my body thought it was the middle of the night and all day I had eaten one airline meal along with a few tiny italian cookies for "breakfast." I didn't feel hungry but felt the crankiness threatening to come out.

In the parking lot of the airport, I jumped up and down three times and shook my head to rid myself of any lingering negative thoughts and made myself happy. Look around! You're in Virginia! You're about to get into your car and go HOME. You are with the two greatest people you know. You will soon see Vinnie again! It worked. Plus, I knew I wouldn't have to worry about being hungry again for at least two weeks and those pants, which I had to buy in Bologna because I was too skinny for my normal ones, well their days were numbered. I was going home!



A stop at Sheetz on the way home was the perfect way to get a taste of one of my favorite PA originated institutions. A mini pretzel melt, a hash brown, and a cream soda were happily consumed by the girl who can't get enough of her east coast goodies, no matter where she travels. I talked my parents' ears off the whole way home and when I returned, I was impressed with the home improvements they had made. Mom's garden was lush and expanded. The windows in the house were all new and the house's exterior looked made over.

I just couldn't help but giggle as I stood in the familliar kitchen, taking in the Kitchenaid appliances, the huge silver refrigerator, the awful tiled floor, the kitchen table that really is more a place for piling everything than a functional eating place, the operating yet broken dishwasher that was broken when I left, the strawberries picked that morning from the garden, oh it was all beautiful.

And then he was there before me. My Vinnie. Having suffered from a bout of depression at my absence, the poor guy no longer had his luch black coat that used to be his greates glory, at least the back half of him didn't. He was too skinny but none of that mattered. I knew he had spent the last 9 months being spoiled rotten by his "grandparents" and enjoying the nature channels available from the many windows that were always open. I petted the suspicious puddy tat and then he ran off. I knew I would have some groveling to do to get back in his good graces.
The pillows in my room had Reeses Big Cups on them... Mom knows how to make the little touches. We all stayed up too late chatting, and I fell asleep exhausted but smiling. I was home.