I’ve traveled a lot in my lifetime. I’ve flown in and out of 32 major US airports. I’ve watched as sorrowful tears were shed in a sad departure, or joyful tears in a long awaited reunion. I watched the many human emotions at their best in an airport, but none was greater than watching the excitement and joy of one who walked down that lonely terminal to the baggage claim to find someone there holding a sign with their name on it! I always wondered, when will my day come? How will I react to it? Will I run to that sign holder and embrace them in tears? Will I jump up and down and do a little song and dance? Will I run through the crowd screaming, “That’s me! I’M HERE!!!!!”? No one really knows how they’ll react in an extreme emotional time such as this. For instance, when my fiancé proposed to me, my reaction was nowhere close to what I had planned for the last 18 years of my life! Instead of jumping into his arms and shouting "YES!!" with tears of joy streaming down my face, I believe the words I said to him were, “Shut-up, are you joking?” and “Is this for real?” I even forgot to say yes! It’s like the burst of adrenaline is a drug that causes your brain to act on its own and you have no control over what you say or do.

I can hardly contain my excitement in the anticipation that maybe…. just maybe, Orlando International Airport will be the site of my “Sign Holder Moment.” If that moment finally happens, will I be able to contain my joy or will I stand in shock and disbelief that this time that sign has my name on it? Stay tuned to see if my dream will in fact become a reality when Melissa and I arrive in Orlando tomorrow……