All in a day’s travel (Part 3 of 3).

Well, on the plus side, I found some rest, even for the short time. On the down side, however, my shoulder and back ache something fierce. I can hardly lift my arms all the way up. Yikes. But first, the conclusion of my travels…

I did, indeed, wake up to my phone going off at 4 am. I sat up and looked around. Most people had left the gate, but some were still scattered about and sleeping. People slept wherever they could—laying on the chairs, sprawled across the floor, sitting up. I gathered my things and made my way to the departure board. Making note of my new gate number, I headed that direction.

Between my level of sheer exhaustion and the weight of my bag, it was a bit of a struggle to move. Luckily, it wasn’t too far of a walk. Those moving sidewalks were certainly appreciated. There were very few people in the airport, but my new gate was buzzing with all those anxious to head to Minneapolis. I snagged a seat in the corner, next to an outlet. I plugged in my computer and fiddled around on it until it was time to board.

Once on the plane, I took a seat next to the window so I could lean and sleep. An older couple sat down next to me. I texted my sister to tell her we were leaving. But then we sat there. This wasn’t looking good for a flight that had been canceled once. Our 5 am departure time was fulfilled at 5:25 am instead. I remember taking off, but I fell asleep pretty quickly after that. I woke up to an announcement that we would be landing soon.

I looked out the window, and smiled at the familiar beauty—snow covered everything. This was home. I was almost there.

I don't think I've ever been so excited to see snow.

Doing my best to wake up, I smiled at the couple next to me. I asked them where they were heading. They told me they were going to visit their children in the Twin Cities and then head up north. In turn, I told them I would be staying with my sister in the area for a couple of nights and then head home, near Duluth.

The gentleman asked where exactly, and when I told him Cloquet he said that they had passed through there once. He asked me if I knew where Bemidji was; I smiled, informing him that I had family there. They would be heading that way. The lady told me that when they had moved out to Arizona, they hoped their children would come visit, but they rarely did. Instead, they decided to travel back to Minnesota to see them. I smiled once more.

At 9:15 am we landed. I struggled with my luggage and made my way off of the plane. A sense of relief filled me as I walked into the airport. I had finally made it. I walked down the stairs, and my eyes searched for my sister. She must have been looking for me, too, because soon I found her coming toward the stairs, smiling. I dropped my bag and almost cried as I hugged her. It had been four months since I’d seen her.

Once we got my two checked bags off of the carousel, we headed toward Liz’s car. She had brought me a coat since I didn’t have any winter clothing, so I threw that on, but left it open.

When we first stepped outside, I took a deep breath and let the bitter chill fill my lungs. It was beautiful. The cold didn’t even bother me. I found it rather refreshing. I may not have reached Cloquet yet, but I smiled, realizing that I was finally home.