Airport Lovin'

      There are many reasons I enjoy flying, despite my fair share of grueling airport experiences.  I continue to be baffled by the ability of such enormous machines to take flight. I love watching the world grow tiny, passing through clouds, and seeing mountains, canyons, plains, deserts, and water from high above.
      And I love people watching. I'm usually alone in the airport, so I while away the time by guessing at the stories of people's lives as they hurry by, whether they're in suits or loaded down with toys and diapers.  But it's the arrivals that make all the airport headaches worth it.  It has become one of my favorite moments of going home to Oklahoma to see my family. I long for those hugs that don't let go, and I can always count on my mom to have food waiting for me in the car....no matter how delayed my flight is.  It is the reason I'll stay hungry traveling, anticipating whatever she's made that day at Crazy 8 Cafe and saved for me.  After a long day of crowds, lines, and security checks, my body simply sinks into the cushions of my parents' car and every bite is wholly satisfying.  It somehow doesn't even matter if the cheese isn't still gooey and the bun isn't perfectly toasted after traveling to me. My mother's food is the comfort I need. 
      When I lived in Alabama and flew back to Portland for a visit, I had a very frustrating day in the airport.  My flight was delayed two hours, and I received news of upsetting family drama en route.  I couldn't wait to get there and see my dear friend (and now roommate) Valerie.  She and I are two peas in a pod when it comes to our obsession with food and cooking, and I had been missing her furiously over the several months since I had left Portland.  I nearly knocked her over when I first saw her.  And she knows me all to well-  it was 12:30 in the morning, but she had brought me her favorite dish from her work at Pok Pok, the Cha ca "Le Vong", a fish dish that is cooked in turmeric oil. I ate it standing over the kitchen counter, completely exhausted, but moaning with every bite. It was rich and warm, with crunchy peanuts and loads of crisp, fresh dill, cilantro, and mint in every bite.  That dish is now my favorite too, and that late night as we ate and fell into bed with happy bellies, I knew I'd return to make Portland my home.