Waiting in Vain (At the airport)

Visiting family during the holidays. Is it a vacation? Vacations are intended to be relaxing. At least that’s what I have always thought them to be. But while sitting in the Oakland airport I feel everything but relaxed. Of course there are the normal concerns; did I forget anything? Did I leave my batteries at home? Batteries check. Did I leave my sync cable at home? Sync cable check. Did I bring enough underwear? I hope so. I already checked that bag.

It’s amazing how wild and far your mind races when your past the point of no return (for your missing items) and you aren’t sure if you have everything. I’m pretty sure that I have everything so I’m just going to stop worrying about that. But then comes the other worries.

What is my family going to say about me when I get home. Why haven’t you called us? It’s so easy to write a short letter or even put a post card in the mail. And I will more than likely continue with my normal, almost pre-recorded responses. I’m sorry I’m very busy. Then they say; it only takes five minutes. Then I will nod my head, say sorry again and say that I will send one. I mean it only takes a few minutes right. And you know what? It does take only a few short minutes. But I’m just always so busy; school, work, climbing, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Perhaps if I woke up earlier then there would be. But that’s just perhaps. Perhaps I mailed a post card. That would be great. What I can’t seem to grasp is what about you? So what if I didn’t do something. Neither did you. You didn’t send me a post card. I didn’t hear from you on my birthday. I was in the middle of the forest on my birthday so it makes sense why you didn’t call. But you could have.

These are things that worry me as I sit here, waiting almost another two hours before my flight. How my family will see me this time. They have all moved out of California. I moved back. I’m them I’m a Richardson. Same blood. But yet I’m not. I haven’t combed my partially dreaded hair going on 5 months now. I don’t eat full meals everyday. At times I’m lucky to get to eat the amount of one full meal in 24 hours. Even though we are family and family “always” sticks together. They don’t. Only we needed. Now I don’t want to hate, I dropped the ball too. But the ridicule that may come doesn’t need too. You dropped the ball as well.

All this aside I can’t wait to see my family. I can’t wait to record this holiday. Record the memories. Record what it means for a family to come together over the holidays. All the drama, the cooking disasters, the drunk uncles. The laughing, the arguments (I hope to god there isn’t any). The family.



After getting into Spokane Airport, I drove back to the house in Post Falls, Id, my Dad, Step-Mom and brother Eric.

I'm staying in my old room. When I moved out when I was younger, my brother Chris moved into my old room. The last couple times that I was up here visiting, I stayed in his old room. Now I'm back in my old room. It's weird. But it feels good I guess.

After settling in and eating some soup, my brother Eric and I went over to our friend Chris house(another Chris).

It was very good to see old friends.

I woke up pretty early this morning. At 11am. Early for me anyways. I went out side to get some fresh morning Idaho air and saw this icicle hanging from our house.




And my parents new dog Callie was hanging out too.



Thats it for today. Perhaps?

-AGR