My Bags Are Packed / I'm Ready To Go

All set for our trip to MN tomorrow, but while I'm excited to go, I also feel anxious about the trip. Let me break down the mixed emotions:

I'm excited because:

• It's going to be Norah's first airplane ride, and even though traveling with her is gonna be more complicated than the old days of just Jerry and I, I'm looking forward to her new experience.
• I get to see all my family, and some of my family members haven't even met Norah yet: My youngest brother just came home from a deployment in Iraq a few weeks ago, so this will be the first time he sees her, and my grandfather, who lives in Denver, will also meet her for the first time.
• I get to see all of Jerry's family. I enjoy my in-law family, and it'll be fun to see everyone.
• I get to see my brother get married and be a part of his wedding. A few years ago, I never thought my brother would be the kind of person to get married, but I guess he just needed to find the right person, and I'm so happy for him. He and his wife-to-be seem like a good fit, and I'm so happy to see him get to enjoy and celebrate that kind of companionship.

However, I'm anxious about:

• The traveling. Flying with Norah adds a few extra logistics, and in general, I don't fly that well. I am really sensitive to motion and have to take Dramamine to fly. Plus, flying always seems to leave me with lingering vertigo for a few days.
• Seeing all my family. I love my family, I do, but they're like that TV show "Modern Family" -- but not funny. Just thinking of having my mom and dad in the same room together makes me want to crawl into a cave, close my eyes, and wait until it's over. Granted, that's just me blowing things out of proportion: My parents have been divorced for 30 years and have always behaved with nothing but respect, dignity and poise, yet it is the eternal curse of the child of divorce to cringe when thinking of those two people within close proximity of each other. There are other strained relationships here as well, but it would take too long to explain it all. Just know this: The forecast for me drinking too much is HIGH.
• Organizing the visits with everyone when we are only in the state for about 60 hours. Needless to say, it involves a lot of driving back and forth, and as of late, a lot of calls that go: "Well, we'll be there between 9 am and 11 am, and then we'll be here between 11 am and 1 pm, and then..." It doesn't make it any easier now that Jerry's parents are also divorced. It feels like we have 4 families to see instead of 2!

But, I'm sure everything will be fine, and if it's not, I'm sure it will be comical a few years from now. That, or I'll drink enough champagne to blot out the bad stuff :)

So, I'll probably be MIA for the next 4 days: Don't cry, I'll be back. And hopefully, I'll be able to report that not only was the entire trip great but that I also managed to maintain the streak. Cross your fingers!