Snow
When I was a –year old, we had our first snow fall of the season. My family Jumped into their winter clothes and dashed outside. Me, in my puffy pink snow suit. My dad shouveled, my mom built a snowman and Peter and Erik made a fort.
I ate the snow.
When I was three I got hit in the face with a snowball. It was wet, cold and left a red mark for a few days. Peter said he meant to hit Erik.
When I was four, I learned how to ski. I fell a few times, but by the age of five, I was zipping through tree trails.
When I was six, I crashed into a picnic table while sledding. I was immediately driven to the hospital and then got six stitches, straight across the forehead. I guess you could say I felt like Harry Potter.
When I was 9, I switched from skiing to snowboarding. I definitely fell a lot with this, but by 11, I was good enough to keep up with my brothers.
When I was 12, we went on an Alaskan cruise with my Grandmother. Every morning around 6, she and I would bundle up, walk out onto the deck, and watch the snow and ice fall from the glaciers.
When I was 13, she passed away. That winter it didn’t snow.
When I was fourteen, I was in charge of lighting the Christmas Luminaries. It was a street tradition. Every house would line up little candles in brown paper bags on the side walk. The flickering yellow lights reflected off the white sheets that covered the yards.
When I was fifteen, we took a trip to Atlanta to visit my cousins for Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving night, it snowed. Everyone one of my relatives were mad.
I wasn’t.
When I was sixteen, It snowed so hard, that we had no school.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
1.)
When I’m homesick I think of…
Yellow brick, black door and a slanted apple tree.
2.)
Long Green pants, a blue sweatshirt and fuzzy socks. That’s what I wore. I wanted to be comfortable for the 9 hours and 2 minutes I would be sitting still. Except for when I needed to go to the bathroom. Then I wouldn’t be sitting still.
As I stood waiting in line for my turn, I continued to peer over my shoulder, in search of my parents. They were still there, waving. I lifted my arm in the air and waved back. However, even when I turned around, I could still feel their eyes on me; watching, waiting, wondering.
This felt good.
It was almost my turn. I took off my yellow backpack and placed it on the conveyer belt, along with my black converse shoes. Then in my fuzzy socks, I scooted up to the front of the line.
I quickly glanced around and smiled at my parents. My dad waved again and my mom blew me a kiss.
I walked forward through the metal detector.
- no beep. I was in the clear and I had made it through.
But when I spun around to wave one last time to my parents,
they were gone.
3.)
“Mommy, can you come pick me up?”
“Oh honey is everything okay?”
“I wanna come home.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“But its just a sleepover, I would get you in the morning.”
“I know, I just…I just wanna go home. Please mommy?”
“Ok I’ll come get you.”
4.)
Traveling to
However, 30 days was a long time.
So once in a while, my parents, brothers or even Bruno, my dog, would cross my mind.
5.)
Dear Diary,
I hate diving camp!! I wanna go home! Everyone here is older than me and has friends with them. My roommates don’t like me either. They’re older than me too. All they do is listen to loud music when I try to sleep. I also tried to do a one a half tuck dive off the high dive today, and I couldn’t! Everyone is more experienced than me and I can’t do anything. I stink. STINK STINK STINK. I hate this. I cried yesterday and today. I WANNA GO HOME!!!
6.)
I didn’t want to go home from this trip.
I did tell my brother that I was a little homesick though.
Big mistake.
“What??!” Peter said over facebook chat. “Hey listen, you can be in
“I know, I know. I’m just a little homesick, that’s all.”
“Well stop being homesick, Now!”
“Haha ok.”
“No I’m serious, I don’t care if you have to tattoo it on your hand!”
7.)
I ran down the stairs as fast as I could. I wouldn’t go to bed. Not at a time like this!
I dashed around the living room, through the dining room and into our family room, as quick as my stubby little legs would go.
“Natalie what’s wrong?”
“I...I,”
“What is it?”
“I…want my mommy.”
“Oh sweetie, your parents will be home later tonight.”
Unfortunately, the babysitter was in for it.
Next move: lots of TEARS
8.)
“Natalie, wie gehts!?”
“Gut, danke!”
Translation:
“Natalie, how are you!?”
“Good, thanks!”
“Und wie ist deine Familie?”
“Sie sind super.”
Translation:
“And how is your Family?”
“They’re great.”
The Lohmann’s were family friends of my mom. Their daughter Laura visited us the summer before. Now I was visiting them.
“Would it be ok if I checked my email?”
“Yeah, of course!”
9.)
Facebook: - No new notifications
Gmail: - 0 Messages
10.)
I was homesick.
11.)
The next day, the Lohmanns and I packed our bags and headed for
A 5 hour and 15 minute drive.
Laura and I must of played a dozen games of cards, before I got car sick.
My eyes wandered out the window.
I watched the corn fields pass by, as well as the hundreds of cows I spotted.
Finally, I drifted.
12.)
My bed was warm and soft and my face felt as though it was pressed up against a giant marshmallow. The mattress was from Ikea. I picked it out myself.
Even though the sheets were cotton, they felt as though they were silk…
13.)
“Natalie, aufstehen!”
Translation:
“Natalie, wake up!”
When my eyes popped open and I saw Mr. Lohmann staring at me from the front seat of the car, I had realized I was dreaming.
Too Bad.
Suprisingly, he switched to English.
“Why don’t you take a look outside?”
At first I was confused. But then I realized we had made it to
“Can I…”
“Of course.” He quickly answered.
As I stepped out onto the pavement, a gush of warm wind brushed up against my checks. It was quiet, but I could still hear the rustling of the leaves. The sky was beautiful. Pink and orange swirls danced across the sky and the large grass fields stretched on for miles.
But what drew me nearer was what stood in the middle of it all.
I crossed the small narrow street and stepped over the curb.
It was just as I had remembered it. – The house where my mom grew up.
I stood still and scanned the house up and down, and side to side.
I suddenly got the feeling that I wasn’t so far away.
Yes – a 5 hour and fifteen minute drive and a 9 hour and 2 minute flight was a great distance. But now I only stood a few feet away.
Yellow brick, black door and slanted apple tree.
Sure, it wasn’t my home, but it felt like it was.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
"Shoes!"
"Huh?"
"You need to take off your shoes."
"Oh..right."
As I walked through the metal detector, I stiffened. Hopefully I'm in the clear, I thought. Funny thing was, I already knew I was in the clear. I wasn't even wearing earrings.
"Natalie, honey go stand by Peter and Erik. When Its your turn, just walk through... okay?"
"Okay Mommy."
As fast as I my short, fat, three year-old legs could stretch, I quickly made my way over to where my brothers were standing.
"No look! The Green Ninja Fighter is better...he has a sword!"
"Nuh uh the Red one is! Hes got a bowling ball you can throw at the bad guys!"
"Oh I like that...gimme!"
As Peter and Erik fought over which Ninja action figure was better, I silently stood in line, sucking my thumb and watching each giant walk through the tunnel of doom. Or at least what I thought was the tunnel of doom.
"Huh?"
"You need to take off your shoes."
"Oh..right."
As I walked through the metal detector, I stiffened. Hopefully I'm in the clear, I thought. Funny thing was, I already knew I was in the clear. I wasn't even wearing earrings.
"Natalie, honey go stand by Peter and Erik. When Its your turn, just walk through... okay?"
"Okay Mommy."
As fast as I my short, fat, three year-old legs could stretch, I quickly made my way over to where my brothers were standing.
"No look! The Green Ninja Fighter is better...he has a sword!"
"Nuh uh the Red one is! Hes got a bowling ball you can throw at the bad guys!"
"Oh I like that...gimme!"
As Peter and Erik fought over which Ninja action figure was better, I silently stood in line, sucking my thumb and watching each giant walk through the tunnel of doom. Or at least what I thought was the tunnel of doom.
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