Home Sweet Homer

Six weeks and one day is, in fact, a really, really long time to spend away from one's best friend and companion. I know this. Three days ago, my mom dropped off Olive and me outside the USAirways terminal at Reagan National Airport where we'd begin our long (but not too long) journey to Alaska where Rob was waiting for us. I was apprehensive about the trip, due in small part to my skepticism about the functioning of our newly acquired Graco stroller-car seat travel system (so far, so good!). Our first short flight from DC to Philadelphia was encouraging; despite having to change Olive's diaper in the aisle and her wetting the changing mat and having to be stripped down, she uttered not a cry of despair. Also working in our favor was the vacant seat beside me, so I brought along the car seat and stuck her in it when sleep overcame her. Still, that was only a fraction of what the 7 1/2 hours in the air she'd have to endure from Philly to Anchorage. Unfortunately, that was a full flight (except for the seat and a half across the aisle from us where a mother was traveling with her young daughter. Olive and I were crammed like herring into the window seat next to - luckily - a very nice Anchorage couple traveling home from spending Christmas in July with her crazy family (a palm tree was used rather than a fir). Olive and I were both more than a little uncomfortable, but she slept soundly for the final hour, and was somehow able to elude the blindingly painful ear pressure that befell me on our descent.

My cousin-in-law, Bethany, had graciously offered to fetch us at the airport and had us stay the night at their home. It was great to meet another one of Rob's family members, and one who remembered him as a playful, silly, and kind youngster. Her two young children, Corbin and Jenna, were dolls, and were fascinated by Olive. Bethany fixed a delicious breakfast of bacon, eggs, and lemon-vanilla pancakes (I will most definitely be making these when we get back from Alaska), then took us to pick up our rental wagon from Alan. It's a beater, to be sure, but it's getting the job done just fine. The four and a half-hour drive from Anchorage to Homer was a wet one, and the first part along the Seward Highway was so windy I feared we'd be blown off the road. I was ecstatic when we finally crested the hill and saw Homer on the other side, the lue mountains haloed in clouds. We couldn't get there fast enough.We've been in Alaska for five days now, and each one has been wet and chilly-in the 50s every day, but I'm not complaining. Coming from a place where it's been at least 90 degrees nearly every day, and rainless but humid, this feels wonderful. And Rob, well, I've never been happier to see him. It's great to have the family together again, and this time, for good.