Day Seven: Culture Shock

So I've already been grounded for 2 days, but have been hard at work and trying to debrief myself from my arguous journey. Okay, so maybe it wasn't so arguous but it was long and most definately overwhelming.
It's hard to say, exactly, how my trip affected me. Nothing bad came as a result, which was to be expected, but it seems as if so much good came of it that my brain simply can not digest all that happened. I felt connected. I have a family. I really, truly have realized that I am not alone in this vast world. I know where my laugh comes from, where I get my nose, my sense of humour, my wits, my passions, my strengths--my history. I know the story behind my own: where my folks come from, where Dad's uncle, Grand-dad's, and uber great Gran-dad's hail from and what amazing things they did with their lives.
Growing up I know nothing of the Tomlinson's (nor of the Mills') and now, I know fully that I come from a line of people who have done great things with their lives. Here I had always thought and been told that my family tree had been lazy bums, but that's not the case at all! I would like to thank everyone who set me straight. I'm proud to be a Tomlinson.
Anyway, the trip home was alright. I was excited to be going home as I missed some people a lot, but terribly sad to be leaving Ontario. I've also come to realize that I am as much and Ontario-an as I am Albertan. I was with complete strangers (despite the blood relations) and on strange turf, and yet was completely at home. Is that naive?
At the airport, after a lovely last meal with my Aunt and Uncle, I was forced to part ways with them. Going through security I was choking up, but managed to hold it in until I passed through. I of course had to call Dad from the airport and talk to him to feel grounded again, and there I was, blubbering the whole time. But not like, all out crying; tears just seemed to fall from my eyes on their own steam. Weird.
The plane ride home wasn't exactly comfortable either. I sat next to a lovely couple on their way to Vegas and enjoyed getting to know them, and out flight attendents were quite commical, but there was so much turbulence. At one point the Captain had to issue a warning vocally and turn on the seat belt sign and we were just tossing and bouncing everywhere. Coming into Calgary was the worst though. I've never gone through turbulence that bad. Despite that, I was laughing the whole time. Turbulence, so far to my experiences, is fun.
David and Curt picked me at the airport and we came home right away, much to my appeasement. However, I quickly learned that my homecoming would be one filled with work. Withing hours of touching down I was at work, and then worked another 10 hours the next day, and was supposed to today. Except today...it SNOWED! It snowed at the end of May; thick heavy snow that took off all the limbs from trees and our power lines. I thank God for my earlier-than-expected day of rest. The snow's already melting and the power is finally back on (came back around 5:30pm after going off at 10am) and my clothes are starting to dry. And I write this all now from the most comfortable place I know...