On my way home!

It’s 7:56 am and I’ve just finished breakfast in Pearson International Airport.
Gerald is staying with his parents for the next five days while I take a journey home to Newfoundland. I can’t remember the exact last time I went there. I think it was summer 2003? Or maybe that Christmas? I was still experiencing some of the effects of grief then, so memories are fluid and deceptive.

The next five days hold two adventures for me. On one of our trips home, Gerald and I persuaded a reluctant Brian to join us on a night out in downtown St. John’s. That night, he saw the beautiful Serena across a crowded room. Brian was shy that night, and I was the one who actually crossed the room to ask Serena and her friends to join us at our table. That night was the start of something wonderful, and tomorrow afternoon, they will start a new life together as husband and wife. This trip was a last minute decision, so when I spoke to Brian a month ago, Gerald and I expressed our regrets for not being able to attend. Apparently, no one has told him I’m coming. I’m a wedding surprise.

The other part of the journey is not so joyous. We’re saying good-bye to Ocean Pond. Our cabin in Ocean Pond is very small, but packed with 35 years of family memories. It’s reached a point where it’s just not practical for us to own a summer place halfway across the country, and a caring party is very interested in purchasing it. Perfect timing, I guess. I told Mom and Dad I really wanted to have one more visit before we said good-bye to the place. They’ve already been there for a week, so I’ll join on this last leg of their trip, and we'll walk the last part of the journey together.

I haven’t flown anywhere since our honeymoon. Funny to be back in an airport. You forget the intricacies of airport culture. Sterile air. Cool modern sculptures. (Toronto’s Terminal 1 is all new and sparkly.) The teams of pilots and airline attendants in matching outfits and luggage. The overpriced bottles of water. The over-tempting bookstores. And of course, the fabulous people watching!

I’m about to line up for a ginormous iced coffee thing. Waking up at 6 am will never be my thing...