"The only BO-LO-GNA you are going to see is O.S.C.A.R. " Uncle John in answer to Kylie's wish to come visit me in Italy.

I've been home for a little-less then a week now and what am I doing? Watching both of my sisters and one of their friends playing Twilight Scene-it. Needless to say, this blog post, however lame, is more entertaining. Especially when I remember the most amazing and unexpected reactions to my surprise return home.

Early in the morning on the 22nd, when the late-night party-goers were making their way home after a night-out, I tiptoed my way out of my apartment and set off, over-weight backpack straining my shoulders, to the train station. The giant Christmas tree was no longer lit, and the streets were dark and calm...my mind in a different world.
I would be home soon, back in Milwaukee after nearly six months. Yet, even the pigeons were asleep and I had to wonder if I will ever get the chance to truly admire an empty Bologna, with the only sound the soft tapping of my boots along the smooth porticoes.
An hour train ride with an obnoxious amount of travelers that early in the morning, an hour and a half of waiting in line to check-in, an hour flight to Zurich and finally, after 10 hours in the air, I arrived in Chicago-O'Hare.





My flight over the Alps!

My total travel time, with almost no sleep and even-more than normal waiting time was somewhere near 23 hours. With "I'll be Home for Christmas" from Michael Bublé playing on repeat for most of the ride up from Chicago to Milwaukee, my stomach tightened in excitement, and in someway fear...for my family's reaction. My original plan was to only tell my older brother Michael about coming home for Christmas-and to surprise the rest of the family. Instead, everyone in the immediate family found out, in some-way or another, but only after months a lying and playing tricks, on my part and that of my mother and twin sister Molly's. They, you could say, were my accomplices...and very good one's at that. The number of times I lied about staying in Italy for Christmas only made the final surprise that much better. Our plan was simple. I would walk into the family room where my little sister Maureen and my dad, who was alerted to the fact that I would be home the morning of, would be busy watching T.V. I would then quietly sneak my way into the house and stand in front of her. The whole pretext was that Molly and my Mom would have gone Christmas shopping for Maureen, and like every year, my mom would have everyone close their eyes so she could sneak the Christmas presents inside without anyone seeing them. This year, I was to be the present!
Everything went exactly to plan as imagined...except for Maureen's reaction. As I stood their shaking with excitement and nerves for her reaction, my mom told her to open her eyes. Who would have guessed that she wouldn't right away? She held back confused on why she was supposed to open her eyes, for it wasn't Christmas time yet?! Finally, we told her one final time to look...and look she did, for about a total of 2 seconds. Then she turned in confusion to my mom with a look as to ask "so what's the surprise?" and seeing Molly next to her near the door, she turned back to me in shock, open mouthed. That's when I jumped on her, covering her in an all-encompassing hug. Of all the reactions that I expected...her mistaking me with Molly (even though she is my twin sister) was not one of them.
My family, you could say, likes to play tricks on each other. Earrings are wrapped in shoe boxes while clothes are rolled and distorted to confuse any who like to "figure-out" what their Christmas presents might be a little early. When driving home from Minneapolis we call to say we just left when we are already nearing Madison, and my dad's favorite: putting things in odd places to see how long it takes for someone to notice that it doesn't belong there. This year, you could say that it was the ultimate trickster Christmas!
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the shock on my family's face was worth the months of deception and planning and I truly couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.
Things I've done so far:
1) Had Arby's, Jimmy John's and Starbucks!
2) Went to see "The Black Swan" and had delicious overly salted popcorn absolutely dripping in butter.
3) I got to drive!
4) and my favorite past-time: watch movies curled in a blanket on the couch surrounded by family.

I am dreaming tonight of a place I love
Even more than I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you