Mama, I'm comin home.

Tomorrow Colin and I fly south to the compound, ready to be ensconced in family joy. Rob will delay the joy by a day, and come in Friday. By Saturday, we will be ready to be unensconced. I kid, I kid. Sort of. No really, I’m joking! mostly

This will be our first trip using Southwest Airlines new unfamily friendly boarding policy under which families can no longer preboard. Apparently people didn’t like families whisking up at the last minute to board first. I say these people deserve to have a toddler stand in line with them for an hour and see how they feel about it then. I will put my theory to the test bright and early tomorrow. Here Colin, have another cookie.

As I’ve been packing I realize that I’m nervous in a way I rarely am to travel home. And not because I’ll be traveling *twitch* alone *twitch* with a *twitch* two-year *twitch* old.

This will be the first time I will see my mom since she has started chemo. The family grapevine is, as always, proliferating, so I know that she’s "looking great." And we’ve gone done the C-road with her before (albeit not with chemo) so that's not it either.

But that doesn’t stop me from feeling somewhat like I do when I’m faced with an unknown social environment. What do I say? Do I act nonchalant? “So, cancer is treating you well I see!” Do I compliment and risk it backhanding? “Boy, that wig looks better than you’re real hair!” Do I overcompensate on the confidence? "Cancer, scmancer." Do I let the emotions pour forth? “Wah! This sucks. You can’t have cancer. Not fair.”

The most likely scenario is that I’ll be so hopped up on caffeine goofballs that she will tune me out anyway. Because, you see, I babble when I’m riding the Starbucks High and when I fly, I tend to overindulge on the Lattes. And Mom thinks I'm a sloppy drunk (and has told me so. honesty, thy name is mooty), so she probably thinks I'm a raving lunatic whilst on caffeine.

The good thing about mom is that she’s mom. And if I say something stupid, she still has to love me. Plus, I’ll have the diplomat that is Colin with me. Colin can diffuse an awkward situation pretty easily. He just goes up to someone, stranger or not, and huuuuuugggssss. I've tried the hugging. I just get weird looks. And the strangers don't like it much either.

See you on the Southern Side!