I have never been this far from home. I’m scared but I am also very excited. The voice over the intercom has just announced that the plane will soon be landing. I start wondering, for the hundredth time, if I will easily be able to find him or if he will be hard to spot. I’m nervous about just standing there, looking and feeling like a lost puppy. I once again reread the last text message he has sent me, “I’ll be standing close by when you reach the airport.” That could mean anywhere; it’s not very specific at all. I take a deep breath and try and calm my nerves, reminding myself that no matter what happens it will not be the end of the world. There are far worse things that can happen to me than not being able to find him right away. Maybe if I can’t find him right away it will give me some much needed time to straighten up and not look so nervous. I take another deep breath and prepare for the touchdown.

The plane makes a somewhat smooth landing onto the runway and we are told we can now unbuckle our seatbelts. Looking out the window I can see lots of trees and a huge lake. It’s beautiful and I wish my nerves hadn’t kept me from enjoying the view. I’m still scared and it’s obvious from the way I’m shaking and sweating. Everyone around me has gotten ready to leave their seats, so I slowly gather up my things. There are all sorts of different people on this plane and I start to wonder why they picked this destination. Maybe for the same reason I have, to see someone that they have never met. Or maybe they’re coming home, to family or to an empty house, after a crowded family reunion. My thoughts return back to reality once there is a small gap in the continuously flowing traffic. I step into the aisle and follow the line of people who are all anxious to set foot on solid ground. I walk through the terminal and seeing what looks just like the light at the end of a tunnel, I enter the airport. All of a sudden I can’t see, the light is blinding bright and my ears are so plugged that I can’t hear anything though I imagine there are lots of greetings being said. My eyes quickly start adjusting and my ears start popping.

I barely have time to blink before I see him, he’s standing right in front of me and he looks even more handsome then I had imagined he would. He’s smiling and waving at me and I can’t help but return a huge smile. I smile because I’m happy to see him but also out of relief that I found him so easily, there was no awkward standing and searching. We quickly hug and then he asks if I’m hungry, I answer softly that I am so we turn towards the food court. As we walk he reaches for my hand and intertwines our fingers, I take a deep breath and thank God that everything turned out the way it was supposed to.