We made it! 20-ish hours, a few tears, and too many pieces of luggage to handle later, we arrived at Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport just after midnight [Friday?]...it had been a challenge all week to gauge time passing, and this trip [plus a jump 14 hours ahead] has only exacerbated this. All in all, it was pretty uneventful, and we were grateful for that. Elijah blessed us with a few long naps along the journey, and while I was excited to spend that time catching up on movies [I could write so much more about the "new-mom-haven't-seen-a-movie-in-ages" syndrome I've acquired], I found myself getting distracted often by day dreaming of the adventures that lie before us. What would our arrival bring? What would our first meals be? How am I going to navigate the craziness of the next few days? There were reflective moments with melancholy notes, and a little bit of panic mixed in...but, the eager anticipation of this new world surely outweighed the anxiety.
Our arrival in Saigon was quite simply perfect. The airport terminal seemed like a ghost town due to the late hour of the night, and it was [nearly] a breeze to get through the standard international arrival hoopla. While tired, I was overcome with joy as we all got new stamps in our passports, and managed to snap a quick photo of Elijah [not looking quite as excited] with all of our bags after customs. As we exited the airport and walked outside, it went from quiet to chaotic with the noisy chatter of excited crowds of family/friends waiting to pick-up their loved ones. It was a beautiful balance of a foreign language I don't yet understand coupled with hugs and smiles [internationally recognized] - and, of course we had a friendly face waiting to pick us up too [our new driver, Tuan].
We are home!
