The Day We Left

When I pack for a trip, I have a routine... I lay all the clothes on everyone's beds in little piles according to the number of days we'd be gone. I keep a pen and paper close by so I can write down all the essentials that I think of as I pack. I'll be real, it can be stressful. So I always like to keep an image in the back of my head of all of us relaxing at the airport eating a meal together close to our terminal, boarding passes in hand.
Just like this. Ahhhh, relaxing, isn't it?

Not even Tanner is worrying about being left "Home Alone" (do you get it?)


Now back to the stress of packing. Tim urgently calls me downstairs, as if it was almost life and death. Telling me I have to be outside for this. Mind you, this is the last hour before we load the car.

I come to see this strip of fire crackers (red, above) Tim bought for the New Year. People light these off around the clock for the Chinese New Year 24 long hours, for a couple of days. They aren't pretty, or colorful. Just LOUD, the kind where you want to Benedryl the whole family. I'm talking 50 rounds of gunshots going off. Pretty much.

That's the neighbor's house behind us that we're posing in front of. So they get egged while we're on Vacation, and not of us. Mind you, in the US compounds, with mostly non-native people, they don't light these Mothers.

But what can I say, this is one of the reasons I married this man. He's just as crazy as I am. So, having said that, Happy New Year everyone in our neighborhood, and miles beyond.

Needless to say, we did manage to make it out of the house on time. And on to our terminal to enjoy a quiet, relaxing dinner.