I'm leavin,' on a Jet plane...

Well, not until Aug 21st. However, my wonderful husband is currently half way across the Pacific. His plane left at 2:45 this afternoon. Baggage check was a breeze and we sat and chatted for an hour and a half, ending up accidentally cutting a bit closer than we should have... It was absolutely nothing like the misery of last time. The pain of parting in January was nearly unbearable and I'd never been so miserable to be home in my entire life. We both cried the whole time before I finally had to go through security. I felt physical pain when I eventually forced myself to break our visual and round the corner. After a rocky first time apart, we then knew we wanted to be together and that it would be seven very long and difficult months until we again saw each other.

But this time it was just fine. We are happily married (for 8 wholes days now!) and it will be four short weeks until we're again safe in each other's arms -- nothing after those aweful seven. There is no lingering uncertainty and though I miss him already, there were no tears, but smiles and a happy though swift parting. In 29 days we will be together again, this time really starting out life together in our first home, far away from lovingly meddling friends and family. After thinking on this for awhile, I've decided that's probably a better way to start off. Though there will be times where I'll probably wish I could run to a few choice friends or my mom, it's better that we are aways from said friends and family. Our familise are wonderful, but we will be forced to work stuff out on our own. As for friends, being gone for a year will make it easier for them to accept that things are different once we have finally returned. Already the day after we got married, we ran into some problems with two of Maurice's friends not at all accepting that he'd rather spend time with his wife than with them. Eventually though, they'll learn that friends (though they sometimes come before girl/boyfriends) do not come before spouses, and they'll find their own respective women and will understand.

It was pretty odd though this morning leaving his house. A year ago today, he left for Japan. I said goodbye to him in his driveway and his parents drove off with him, with me following sadly behind, not to see him again for five months. This time it was his parents who stayed behind as I drove off. Quite a role reversal and really a bit surreal. Now we are responsible for each other, instead of our parents for us. It hits a little more every day and I love it! It's very fun to be able to say things such as "I'll wait for my husband to get back first" to the waitress asking me about my wine preferences.

Anyway, pictures to come! They just need to be made a bit smaller first. Also, still culling from the enormous herd.