Where My Heart Is

"Oh, you're married?" the customs officer at JFK airport asked me as he handed me back my passport. 

"I am," I responded smiling. At this point I was only a two-hour layover and a three-hour flight away from seeing my husband again.

"If I were your husband" the officer began in his thick Brooklyn accent, "I'd be waiting on the other side of baggage claim with a big bouquet of flowers." 

"Oh, I'm sure he will be." I assured him... 

Hmm...I think I know my husband quite well by now :)

Although the initial leg of my trip flew me into New York - the heart of America, in my opinion - it just didn't feel like I was coming home. And even after I landed in Nashville, I still didn't feel that I was finally in my home country. In fact, I felt quite as unaffected as when my planes landed in France and Italy on holiday. I was beginning to wonder if I was growing too attached to London. 

But as my eyes locked with my handsome husband's across Nashville International's baggage claim, I realised for the first time that home isn't a physical location; it's where my heart is. And for me, my heart is with Brady. The Army may send us all over the world, but no matter where we are, we're at home when we have each other. 

After being separated by over 4,000 miles and by seven time zones, Brady and I are finally together again! I'm not sure if my words could adequately express just how sweet a feeling it is to wake up next to him in the mornings, and how enjoyable it is to talk and laugh as we ride in the car together. I just love being with this man! And he loves me so much, he even sacrificed watching the Army-Navy game (this is an '09 Old Grad, by the way) to see "It's a Wonderful Life" at the TPAC in Nashville. That is some love...

And because I love him so much, I stowed these scrumptious Christmas cakes from Gail's (my favourite bakery in London) into my carry-on for him to delight in on the drive home from the airport.

 But alas, I was outdone again! When I walked in, Brady had made me cupcakes for my birthday. And since most of our things are already packed away in storage, he made the apartment feel a little more like home by pulling out our Christmas decorations and by making me a sign....

...and he restocked on Wallflowers for Christmas. What a happy day :)