Blast off! Sort of.

Here I am. Sitting all by my lonesome at my gate ready to board my plane at YVR. To head to the unknowns. To people in whom I have not met their acquaintance. To a job I am unfamiliar with. Without my support system.

Nicole and the kids were nice enough to wake at the break of dawn to drive me in to the airport and wave me off. After check-in, I felt the love of getting long hugs from the kids – their tiny hands gripping me tight as if to never let me go. Giving kisses, more kisses and then a few more kisses. Wiping away their little tears. Then saving the best for last, Nicole, my wife, her tiny hands gripping me tight as if to never let me go.

After all the farewells, we all had to turn and go out separate ways. I took my turn to sob. Having held it back as long as I could, not wanting the kids to get any more sad or worried then they already were.

As I sit here, I realized that this is the first time in my 32 years of existence that I have ever flown alone. Thank goodness it is a direct flight otherwise… who knows where I might end up. Hawaii maybe. That wouldn’t be so bad, would it? Trade all the camo for a lai and an abundance of floral print. Surf instead of snow. Sit roast pig for chargrilled cow. One can dream.

On a side note, I love being Canadian. While everyone is in a frenzy trying to get to where ever they are going, be it for vacation or for work. Everyone, most everyone, seems to keep their manors, are polite and help each other out. Through security, everyone helped out putting their bins back, nicely stacked up. Take that American Airlines.

Down to the tarmac I go.

Oh great. Its a prop plane. Wish me luck.

Moral: “Always be polite and never fight”? Good words to live by. But I think a better fitting moral is, “don’t be afraid to cry in front of the ones you love”.